Bound To Stay Bound

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Booklist - 12/01/2013 Arthur is a disappointment to his family. The Whipples are record breakers, but there’s nothing much unusual about Arthur, although he tries to add to his family’s 49,521 broken records, which include the “Highest Hamster-Piloted Model Rocket Launch Ever Recorded.” The Whipples remain at the forefront of doing things longer, faster, and better until the Goldwin family moves to town, and, as it turns out, the newcomers have mad skills in the record-breaking department. That leads to an interfamily competition of epic proportions. Arthur, who finds a kindred spirit in Ruby Goldwin, continues to try to make his mark, but there’s the matter of the curse on the Whipples as well as two evil clowns—one a giant, one a dwarf. Well, it’s always something. The book’s attempts at an amusing narrative seem forced at times, but Arthur makes an appealing, determined hero, and lots of kids will find the over-the-top competitions enjoyable; an appendix lists an astounding array from the author’s invented “World Record Archives.” - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2013 Gr 3–6—Poor Arthur Whipple. He's about to turn 12 and has yet to distinguish himself among his huge family of overachieving world-record breakers. From failing to achieve the "Longest Time without Sleeping" record to flubbing the one for standing on one foot, Arthur's efforts to contribute to his family's fame are proving elusive. But when a mysterious curse seems to befall the Whipples, it might be up to Arthur to save them. As the mysteries pile up and the Whipple clan finds itself on the losing side of the World Record Championships, the young hero turns his talents to ferreting out clues and suspects behind his family's misfortunes. This novel's pace is frenetic; the action is over-the-top, as are the myriad world records (e.g., "The World's Largest Piece of French Toast," "Longest Continuous Time Playing an Accordion"). Think vaudeville on a roller coaster. There's humor and mayhem, and red herrings and nefarious suspects abound. The pace may delight some readers, while others will become exhausted. Even those who love it may feel frustrated that the mystery is not solved and they must hang on for a second installment. Give this one to readers with solid attention spans.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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