Hocus Pocus Hotel

June 15, 2012
Ty Yu, one of the biggest bullies in middle school, recruits Charlie Hitchcock and his "acute visual memory" for a little detective work. There have been some mysterious occurrences at Ty's home, the Hocus Pocus Hotel, a residence for retired magicians. His plans to purchase a dirt bike, a "Tezuki Slamhammer 750, Edition 6, in cherry-pop lightning red," must wait when tenant Mr. Madagascar disappears, along with his rent payment. Brack, an employee with some surprises of his own, mentors the students as they connect the clues. Charlie's interests (his skillz at Sherlock Holmes Maximum Z serve him well) allow him to quickly summarize the information and bring tidy resolutions. The children's second case involves the identity of a local ghost. The first in a series, these two mysteries connect to a larger storyline as the hotel's performers prepare for their revival show. At times, exposition causes pacing to drag. "It was just that Tyler never showed he had brains while he was in school. At school, Tyler pretty much only showed off his big arms and fists." Digital art depicts Ty as a lanky teenager with slicked-back black hair and almond eyes; Charlie, with glasses and freckles, is significantly shorter. Drawings dissect the duo's major discoveries. With a touch of The Twilight Zone, it's the building and its guests that provide the eeriest entertainment. (Mystery. 9-12)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Strange things are happening at the Abracadabra Hotel, an establishment that caters to magicians. A guest has gone missing, along with a host of bizarre, seemingly unrelated objects like shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons. Lights flicker on and off, eerie sounds are heard, and shadows seen. Could the Abracadabra have a ghost? Seventh-grade bully Tyler Yu's parents work at the hotel, and Ty wants to get to the bottom of the mysteries. He secretly insists on the help of Charlie Hitchcock, a smart but small and nerdy classmate with a photographic memory. Together, the boys investigate the hotel from top to bottom, learning magicians' tricks as they move from one clue to the next. Full-color illustrations, many full page, and black-and-white diagrams show how each trick is done. They and Charlie's lists of clues should help young detectives solve the mysteries of the Abracadabra right along with the sleuths. A good start to a new series.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Grades 4-6 A retirement hotel for professional magicians provides the setting for two cases involving mysterious disappearances and a young sleuth with acute visual memory. Charlie Hitch Hitchcock is surprisingly invited by school bully Tyler Yu into the old hotel, run by the surly punk's family, to find out where the elderly magician in room 1413 disappeared to and then, later, why shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons have likewise gone missing on another seemingly haunted floor. Getting to the bottom of both mysteries (which turn out to have benign, if contrived, causes) involves sharp observation and deduction as well as plenty of broad hints from the hotel's inscrutable elevator operator. Hitch also learns how magicians use swiveling mirrors, legerdemain, and other gear or skills to create their effects. Along with frequent color-cartoon renditions of the characters and the hotel's antique, atmospheric decor, Weber provides detailed diagrams to show how each featured trick works. An inviting package.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
When tough guy Tyler tells nerdy Charlie to meet him after school in an alley, Charlie assumes the worst. But it turns out Ty needs Charlie's help--mysterious things have been happening at a hotel for retired magicians where Ty lives with his parents. Charlie's photographic memory and Ty's inside knowledge lead the two on this enjoyable romp through mirrored hallways and spooky basements.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)