The World-Famous Nine

Praise for The World-Famous Nine:
A New York Times Bestseller 
A Barnes & Noble Young Reader Pick of the Month
CBC Children's and Teacher Favorite

"Imaginative and entertaining … Guterson makes excellent use of his trademark ability to create puzzles and conjure clues in this innovative tale that pits clever and intrepid preteens against dark forces, dodgy family secrets and dastardly adults. Readers will breathlessly turn the pages as they wonder: Can the duo solve the mysteries of The Nine in time to save it from those who wish it—and them—ill? Impressive illustrations by Kristina Kister capture the wild grandeur of The Nine, and hand-drawn mandalas by Guterson himself add to the book’s uniquely appealing mystique."
 

"A wholesome and elaborate middle-grade mystery with fantastical themes…. The department store offers a rich setting for adventure, and Ben Guterson spares no details in elaborate descriptions.… Mystery in a wondrous environment melds with family history and a tinge of magic in this tale for detail-oriented young readers."

"Ben Guterson dives headlong into adventure, employing flights of fancy and imagination and humorous situations to instantly charm readers. A large, multiethnic cast of secondary adult characters balances the tweens’ youthful exuberance with caring, patient instruction, while [illustrator] Kristina Kister brings the grandiose setting to life, imbuing it with a wonder reminiscent of department stores of yesteryear."

"Like Hogwarts, Narnia, or Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, the luxury department store The Nine is a place full of wonders and secrets. Add a kid with a brave heart, and this puzzly, page-turning mystery swept me away."

"A department store with doughnut machines, a Tiffany glass ceiling, and its own iceberg? A story with word puzzles, trick boxes, and a mystery as big as The Nine itself? There’s exactly one problem with The World-Famous Nine: you won’t be able to stop planning your own trip."

"A masterwork of original characters, tangled up in a mystery set in an otherworldly place. The World-Famous Nine reads like an instant classic."

"An imaginative, suspenseful story. Young readers will delight in exploring The Nine with Zander and puzzle over the cryptic messages he is determined to solve in order to save his family's legacy."

"A perfect blend of whimsy, humor, and adventure!"

"Zander Olinga is off to spend the next five weeks of summer at his grandmother’s world-famous department store, The Number Nine Plaza. Within hours of Zander’s arrival, The Nine is abuzz with news about strange and dangerous things happening. The electricity is on the fritz, and an employee is attacked…. The Nine is a fantastical place full of shops and activities that will surely tickle readers’ imaginations."
 

"Coded clues put two young sleuths on the trail of a magic mandala hidden somewhere in a huge, bustling department store…. The keys are a series of ingenious word and number clues, and Guterson provides enough hints along the way for savvy readers to decode them."