Gamers, sleuths, and bookworms will revel in the sheer genius of this tale. Grabenstein cleverly weaves the nostalgia of actual board games and today's electronic gaming strategies with well-known children's book titles, sprinkles rebus clues throughout, and adds a dose of fantastical reality-suspension to concoct a brilliant mystery.

But if that wasn't enough, themes of accomplishment and kindness clinch this as a forever-favorite in our list. Readers see how failure may precede success and how hard work and resilience reap rewards. The contrast of choices characters make throughout the story shows how teamwork often results in stronger, more effective strategies, and that caring about others is more important than winning. And finally, but no less important, the inner-narrative of some characters (all of which are brilliantly developed) challenges readers to use the lessons of the past experiences to help make wise decisions in the present, and that may include some outside-the-box thinking.

Reminiscent of The Westing Game, every detail may hold a clue, so the reader is drawn to attend carefully, to solve this masterfully orchestrated challenge as if a character in this grand game. A rich, delightful work. In this cross between "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "A Night in the Museum, " and Agatha Award winner uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. This edition includes a Q&A, a book list, and a puzzle.