12/04/2023

Deep in the heart of the Russian city of Novatrosk lies Number Nine Plaza, a shopping destination brimming with a plethora of things to see and do. For the first time in years, 11-year-old Zander Olinga—who lives in Pittsburgh and whose father is from Cameroon—travels to Russia to spend the summer with his grandmother, the current owner of the Nine. He quickly befriends white-cued Natasha Novikov, also 11, who works for his grandmother, and the pair bonds immediately over their shared love of sports and mutual appreciation for each other’s curious differences (Zander is afraid of heights and Natasha can juggle marbles). All is not perfect in the magical building, however; strange occurrences, old legends, and the arrival of a possibly demonic entity named Darkbloom put the Nine’s reputation—and very existence—at risk. Juxtaposing Zander’s sophisticated voice with Natasha’s effervescent—and occasionally reckless—ways, Guterson (Winterhouse) 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 Kister (Baby Unicorns) brings the grandiose setting to life, imbuing it with a wonder reminiscent of department stores of yesteryear. Ages 9–12. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Literary. (Jan.)

Praise for The World-Famous Nine:
A New York Times Bestseller 
A Barnes & Noble Young Reader Pick of the Month

"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."
 —Bookpage

"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."—Shelf Awareness

"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."—Publishers Weekly

"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."—Elise Broach, award-winning author of Masterpiece and Duet

"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."—Cory Leonardo, author of The Simple Art of Flying

"A masterwork of original characters, tangled up in a mystery set in an otherworldly place. The World-Famous Nine reads like an instant classic."—Chris Baron, author of The Magical Imperfect, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book

"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."—Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times bestselling author of the Book Scavenger series and Sisterhood of Sleuths

"A perfect blend of whimsy, humor, and adventure!"—R. M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Krakow

"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."
 —School Library Journal

"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."—Kirkus Reviews

12/01/2023

Gr 4–6—Zander Olinga is off to spend the next five weeks of summer at his grandmother's world-famous department store, The Number Nine Plaza, while his parents are on a research trip in Kamchatka, Russia. 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. Zander's grandmother, Zina, tells him the story about a magical mandala that was gifted to the first Winebee matriarch by Nepali monks. However, the mandala was stolen 90 years ago and hidden in The Nine. Zina suspects the mandala is being hunted by Darkbloom, an evil spirit who wishes harm on The Nine. Zander, with the help of a new friend, Natasha Novikov, goes on a search for the mandala using clues left by his great-granduncle, Vladimir. The Nine is a fantastical place full of shops and activities that will surely tickle readers' imaginations. However, Zander's exploration of the plaza often competes with the mystery of the missing mandala. VERDICT A promising novel with attention-grabbing elements and a high-stakes hunt for a magical object, that unfortunately gets lost in heavily detailed descriptions, a large cast of side characters, and an inconsistent time line.—Maria Martin

2023-10-07
Coded clues put two young sleuths on the trail of a magic mandala hidden somewhere in a huge, bustling department store.

Hardly has meek young Zander Olinga arrived for a visit with Zina Winebee, his grandmother and owner-manager of the Number Nine Plaza, than he learns of a threat to the continued existence of the renowned emporium. The danger is linked to Darkbloom, a rumored evil spirit set on reversing the good-fortune charm left by Nepali monks at the store’s founding. The stone tablet bearing the magical mandala vanished 90 years ago, and finding its hiding place becomes a race pitting Zander and intrepid new ally Natasha Novikov against unknown saboteurs whose minds have been taken over by Darkbloom. The keys to the tablet’s location are a series of ingenious word and number clues left by Zander’s great-granduncle Vladimir, and Guterson provides enough hints along the way for savvy readers to decode them. What he doesn’t do is give either his leads or the many-faceted store (which, over the course of the story, is explored from the Ferris wheel on its roof to the bakery in the cellar) any more depth or distinctive traits than he gives Nepali religious practice. Darkbloom remains a shadowy bugaboo, its actual nature and motivations unexplained and its fate left anticlimactically unresolved. Zander’s father is from Cameroon, and his mother reads white; names cue some diversity in the supporting cast. Final art not seen. (This review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

A whodunit that doesn’t live up to its intriguing premise. (Mystery. 9-12)