Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2018 Gr 1–4—Readers are treated to a colorful historical account of a well-known board game, and the socioeconomic factors that affected its development. In the late 1800s dynamo Elizabeth "Lizzie" Magie decided to create a game based on what she viewed as an unfair relationship between heavy-handed landlords and vulnerable renters. Magie patented the Landlord's Game in 1903, but was unable to secure the interest of large-scale producers. The history of how Magie's creation became Monopoly is as complex as its rules and variables, but here a potentially complicated narrative is told with great skill and clarity by Stone. Young readers are presented with a coherent and lucid account; any detail not relevant to the furthering of the story is omitted, including complex terminology and the personal details of Magie's life. Parker Brothers would ultimately pay Magie only $500 for the patent and would not credit her as the inventor as promised, a deal she was vocally unhappy about. Bonus material includes trivia and a math set. Salerno's vivid illustrations are kinetic and play upon the most exciting elements of the story. Characters move with fluidity, and occasional close-ups at sharp angles add interest to spreads with Charles Darrow and Mr. Monopoly. VERDICT Highly recommended for nonfiction collections.—Lauren Younger, formerly at New York Public Library - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2018 Monopoly’s success as a board game boils down to the ideas and innovations of two individuals: Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie and Charles Darrow—but they weren’t working together. Magie, a feisty woman who cared about social justice, created the Landlord’s Game in 1903, hoping to educate the public about unfair practices within the real-estate market. Roughly 30 years later, Darrow played an iteration of Magie’s game and saw room for improvement—and an opportunity to make money. He skillfully marketed his polished version of the game, calling it Monopoly. Stone personalizes this story by asking readers to consider instances when they’ve made changes to a game’s original rules. She also points out the sad irony that Magie was paid a modest sum for her game’s patent, while Darrow went on to make millions. Salerno’s bold illustrations heighten the drama surrounding Monopoly’s development and include glimpses of early versions of the game. A final spread of trivia and “Monopoly Math” extends the reach of this interesting but contentious history. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.