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54th out of 85 books
—
1,058 voters
The Fourth Stall (The Fourth Stall)
by
Chris Rylander (Goodreads Author)
Chris Rylander delivers a funny Ferris Bueler-style middle grade novel with The Fourth Stall.
Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay hi
Hardcover, 314 pages
Published
February 8th 2011
by Walden Pond Press
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I'm currently reading "The Fourth Stall" by Chris Rylander, it's one of the funniest books I've ever picked up and all the chapters crack me up. I've only gotten to page 29 but I already see the problem forming and things getting more intense. So far I've learned that Mac (a small six grader) has made his own little "business" in the East Wing boys bathroom, forth stall from the high window. Other kids in middle school bribe him with money and small favors so they can get test cheats, fake docto...more
Review originally posted at Heise Reads & Recommends
I'm always on the lookout for books that will appeal to the boys in my classes. I struggle to find those books that will really engage them through contemporary situations and humor - well I've now found another one to add to my highly recommended for boys list with THE FOURTH STALL. Chris Rylander has created a funny book with heart. Mac, so nicknamed because he can get anything kids want and can solve their problems, thinks he has everyth...more
I'm always on the lookout for books that will appeal to the boys in my classes. I struggle to find those books that will really engage them through contemporary situations and humor - well I've now found another one to add to my highly recommended for boys list with THE FOURTH STALL. Chris Rylander has created a funny book with heart. Mac, so nicknamed because he can get anything kids want and can solve their problems, thinks he has everyth...more
This book had me up all night!
I rarely stray out of the fantasy genre, but when I do Chris Rylander will be my go to author.
Its rare to read a book in this angsty/relationship is gone so I'm going to die book culture that you find a book with two male characters and its all about them.
Mac is an awesome voice for this book and his insights into everyday things left me in stitches. Often times as a girl I've watched boys in their clusters and wondered what they were talking about or thinking and...more
I rarely stray out of the fantasy genre, but when I do Chris Rylander will be my go to author.
Its rare to read a book in this angsty/relationship is gone so I'm going to die book culture that you find a book with two male characters and its all about them.
Mac is an awesome voice for this book and his insights into everyday things left me in stitches. Often times as a girl I've watched boys in their clusters and wondered what they were talking about or thinking and...more
Review from Karen, intended for young readers:
You know how sometimes it takes a while to get into a book and you’re not sure if it’s going to get better but you figure you might as well stick with it a little longer to see? Well, reading The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander is NOTHING like that!
As soon as I met Mac on the very first page, I was hooked. Mac is no ordinary middle schooler; he’s like the godfather amongst his classmates — a fixer, a businessman who will help you out… for a price. Or...more
You know how sometimes it takes a while to get into a book and you’re not sure if it’s going to get better but you figure you might as well stick with it a little longer to see? Well, reading The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander is NOTHING like that!
As soon as I met Mac on the very first page, I was hooked. Mac is no ordinary middle schooler; he’s like the godfather amongst his classmates — a fixer, a businessman who will help you out… for a price. Or...more
I don't think I have laughed out loud so much while reading a book in a long time. Chris Rylander has crafted a middle school story with an exquisite level of street smart snarkiness, humor, and all the realities of school life for kids.
Christian, aka Mac (for MacGyver), is a natural born fixer, and he hones his talents in a toiletless stall of a K-8 school. Complete with a CFO and protective muscle, he's quite the Godfather of the elementary set. Until a competitor shows up, and the two warring...more
Christian, aka Mac (for MacGyver), is a natural born fixer, and he hones his talents in a toiletless stall of a K-8 school. Complete with a CFO and protective muscle, he's quite the Godfather of the elementary set. Until a competitor shows up, and the two warring...more
If you've ever wondered what Al Capone and his buddies might've been like in middle school, The Fourth Stall is your answer. In this cunning, smart tween-age mobster story, Mac is a savvy sixth grader who runs a shady service out of a defunct bathroom stall.
With his longtime buddy Vince backing him up, Mac sells solutions to other kids' problems. He's perfectly happy delivering practical solutions to problems like procuring test answers, or even making loans, until a competitor starts cutting in...more
With his longtime buddy Vince backing him up, Mac sells solutions to other kids' problems. He's perfectly happy delivering practical solutions to problems like procuring test answers, or even making loans, until a competitor starts cutting in...more
Mac has a good system going. He has access to a little used restroom in his school where he can meet with students who need a service that he and his friend Vince can provide. It might be sneaking in to an R-rated movie, finding out information about someone, or in the case of third grader Fred, being kept safe from legendary bully Staples. Hunting Staples down takes a huge amount of Mac and Vince's resources; they were saving money to go to a Cubs' game, but have to pay off a lot of other kids...more
Feb 10, 2012
Jennifer Rayment
added it
The Good Stuff
Rachel described it as Godfather for middle school & that is exactly what it is - well without the violent deaths of course
Dialogue is hilarious
fast paced, exciting and funny story that middle school boys will lap up
Good message of friendship and trusting and being their for each other
Would be great book to talk about for Grade 5/6 classrooms
Discusses problems faced by those from lower income families
The premise is wonderfully unique
Likeable characters that most kids can relate...more
Rachel described it as Godfather for middle school & that is exactly what it is - well without the violent deaths of course
Dialogue is hilarious
fast paced, exciting and funny story that middle school boys will lap up
Good message of friendship and trusting and being their for each other
Would be great book to talk about for Grade 5/6 classrooms
Discusses problems faced by those from lower income families
The premise is wonderfully unique
Likeable characters that most kids can relate...more
Sep 21, 2011
The Library Lady
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Chicago Cubs fans
Shelves:
childrens-fiction
Note: My 12 yr old daughter picked this up and commented that one of her male classmates was reading this and said it was good. Then she put it back down!
The premise is good--though it's pretty reminiscent of The Big Splash--and that one was funnier. That's what I think may be wrong here. You are really supposed to suspend your disbelief and believe that all of this is going on in a world that is nearly as empty of adults as that of the strip "Peanuts". Parents are all clueless or helpless and t...more
The premise is good--though it's pretty reminiscent of The Big Splash--and that one was funnier. That's what I think may be wrong here. You are really supposed to suspend your disbelief and believe that all of this is going on in a world that is nearly as empty of adults as that of the strip "Peanuts". Parents are all clueless or helpless and t...more
Best friends since kindergarten, Mac and Vince are now 6th grade business tycoons, running their "service" from the fourth stall at school. They're saving up for very expensive tickets to the World Series, because this year the Cubs actually have a chance of making it. But someone is muscling in on their business and things quickly go from annoying to dangerous.
I can probably sell this to middle school boys, especially baseball fans. This is Rylander's first book for kids, and he has created a p...more
I can probably sell this to middle school boys, especially baseball fans. This is Rylander's first book for kids, and he has created a p...more
Need an excuse note? A way to get into a rated R movie? Homework trouble? If you've got a problem, Mac can solve it, along with the help of his best friend/business partner, Vince. Just visit their "office" in the 4th stall of rarely-used bathroom at school. But be prepared to pay, with money or with owed favors.
Mac and Vince's business starts to fall apart the day a third grader comes in asking for protection from a bully. Because it's not just any bully. It's the legendary Staples, a kid no on...more
Mac and Vince's business starts to fall apart the day a third grader comes in asking for protection from a bully. Because it's not just any bully. It's the legendary Staples, a kid no on...more
Sixth grader, Mac, is the Godfather of his school. Do you need help? Protection? Mac and his crew can provide it – for a price. His office is in the abandoned East Wing bathroom….the fourth stall. He meets his match when a third grader comes to him seeking protection from the legendary bully, Staples. Staples has been running a gambling ring in the school and rigging the outcomes of sports events. Now half the school is in his debt and he’s threatening to collect.
I really looked forward to rea...more
I really looked forward to rea...more
This morning I finished Chris Rylander’s first middle reader novel The Fourth Stall. I think that authors get better the more books they publish, but sometimes I wonder if that first book is their best book. Authors work so hard to get published that they often spend years thinking about, writing, rewriting and then rewriting that first book. It is so hard to get published that I bet to get noticed that first book has to be a knockout. Mr. Rylander may go on to have a huge career as an author, b...more
Perfect read for upper level 5th grade boys!
"Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming. Or at least it was, until one part...more
"Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming. Or at least it was, until one part...more
Originally posted here.
When Noir meets The Godfather in the bathroom of a grade school you get The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. It is an interesting concept and there are many amusing parts to the book. I think that it is quite possible that much of it will go over the heads of its intended audience though. However, I can also see how this might appeal to a certain boy reader who is into super heroes, crime shows, and action moves and video games. (So, most boys really).
Mac is the narrator of...more
When Noir meets The Godfather in the bathroom of a grade school you get The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. It is an interesting concept and there are many amusing parts to the book. I think that it is quite possible that much of it will go over the heads of its intended audience though. However, I can also see how this might appeal to a certain boy reader who is into super heroes, crime shows, and action moves and video games. (So, most boys really).
Mac is the narrator of...more
The Fourth Stall is a great book for kids and even better, adults. It's basically a mix between The Godfather and Ferris Bueller, and it's a great, great, great story.
Christian (known as Mac, short for MacGyver) and his business partner/best friend Vince hold a business in the fourth stall of the East Wing boys restroom at their school. Their business specializes in fixing problems and hiring protection from bullies. This mystery follows the legendary bully "Staples", who is holding an illegal g...more
Christian (known as Mac, short for MacGyver) and his business partner/best friend Vince hold a business in the fourth stall of the East Wing boys restroom at their school. Their business specializes in fixing problems and hiring protection from bullies. This mystery follows the legendary bully "Staples", who is holding an illegal g...more
The Fourth Stall is one of my favorite books. I read it in a matter of days and I loved the drama, the characters, and the plot twists. Christian, or Mac is the head of some organization in his school that helps kids solve their problems. He, his best friend Vince, and his right-hand-man Joe seem to run the school. Never once had they failed, until they met Fred.
Fred came to them with information on this thought-to-be-dead, notorious bully called Staples. Staples is apparently no myth and Fred o...more
Fred came to them with information on this thought-to-be-dead, notorious bully called Staples. Staples is apparently no myth and Fred o...more
I enjoyed this book--a great middle school boy book. It started a little slow, but definitely picked up. The narrator, Christian--or Mac as he is called--runs a business in his middle school. He helps kids solve their problems. It might be getting a date, or supplying an excuse for a class, or even helping the janitor solve the mystery of who is vandalizing the building. Of course, kids do have to pay for his help, but payment can come in the form of favors or money. The book starts when Mac get...more
BAYA draft review
Sixth grader Christian Barrett runs a tidy little business out of the fourth stall of an unused bathroom at his school. He's a fixer and so good at solving his fellow student's little problems he's earned the name MacGyver or Mac for short. You need test answers, a forged note, or passes to an R rated movie, then Mac, along with his best friend and consigliere Vince, is the guy to see. The business that they started in Kindergarten has been do successful, they've earned enough m...more
Sixth grader Christian Barrett runs a tidy little business out of the fourth stall of an unused bathroom at his school. He's a fixer and so good at solving his fellow student's little problems he's earned the name MacGyver or Mac for short. You need test answers, a forged note, or passes to an R rated movie, then Mac, along with his best friend and consigliere Vince, is the guy to see. The business that they started in Kindergarten has been do successful, they've earned enough m...more
So much fun. Mac/Christian runs a problem-solving business from the broken fourth stall in a bathroom in his middle school with his best friend, Vince, and some others. They've got a mini-mob kind of thing going on (except with a lot less violence and stuff - they are in sixth grade,after all). Unfortunately, an incident with an older teenager nicknamed "Staples" and a rotten gambling scheme is threatening their business, their friendship, and their safety. Mac solves problems, and this one test...more
I can remember being in middle school and being scared to death of some of the high school kids that lived near my house. Nothing can relate to what Christian (Mac) goes through in Chris Rylander's The Fourth Stall.
Mac, Vince (best friend) and a few other six graders ran a school business in the East Wing bathroom of their elementary school. The location of the bathroom was in an area of the school that no student would use as a bathroom once Mac and his "business partners" took it over as their...more
Mac, Vince (best friend) and a few other six graders ran a school business in the East Wing bathroom of their elementary school. The location of the bathroom was in an area of the school that no student would use as a bathroom once Mac and his "business partners" took it over as their...more
I can understand the appeal to middle grade boys. This book has lots of action, some violence, bullying, revenge, deal-making, a little mystery, and the Chicago Cubs. Specifically the end of the "Season of Bartman." Heartbreak. I can also totally see them rating this with 5 stars, but for me...no.
To be honest, I skimmed the book from the middle on because I had better things waiting to read, but easily got the gist of the book. I would recommend it for 4th-5th grade boys, especially those reluct...more
To be honest, I skimmed the book from the middle on because I had better things waiting to read, but easily got the gist of the book. I would recommend it for 4th-5th grade boys, especially those reluct...more
A great concept--entrepreneurial boy sets up an office in an unused part of his school to help kids with problems in exchange for money or favors. Problems range from kids needing a grade changed to having bullies steal their lunch money. But when Mac uncovers an intramural sports gambling ring run by an infamous high school crime boss, the young "godfather" finds himself in too deep.
Unfortunately, there was way too much hitting and hurting of other kids for my taste--totally unnecessary in a mi...more
Unfortunately, there was way too much hitting and hurting of other kids for my taste--totally unnecessary in a mi...more
Christian "Mac" (short for MacGuyver) Barrett is the kid who can get you what you need. From his office in the East Wing boys' bathroom, he deals in favors and cold, hard cash, helping kids with their problems, even if it means violating the school's code of conduct. But everything changes when Fred shows up: a scared third grader who's gotten in way over his head with a high school bookie named Staples. As Mac tries to help Fred, he learns just how deeply Staples has infiltrated his school. He'...more
I am only half way through this book and having major issues with it. First of all, there is a reason that most books written for kids are not satirical! Satire is generally lost on the young and I think that will be the case with Fourth Stall. Rylander is trying to satirize The Godfather and the mafioso way in this book but I fear that his attempt at this will be largely lost on his intended elementary school age audience. Instead this book almost comes off as an instruction manual on how to ru...more
I picked this book on a whim while looking at Audible's newest offerings and I was not disappointed! I think that upper elementary and middle school boys will really enjoy this. Mac (short for MacGuyver, but really named Christian) can get anything done. Whether it's uncovering the identity of his school's resident graffiti artist for the janitor or helping a classmate get into the movie his date wants to see, he is a real problem solver. Along with his best friend Vince, Mac runs his problem-so...more
Confession: I started this book at school and I was eager to read it but the problem even though I knew it would be humorous, was that I didn't have time to read it or this book wanted me to read it. But I CAME THROUGH! I was a little mad that I didn't take the time to sit down, get comfy, and read!
The main person told from is Mac who runs a business in a stall in the boys restroom, a second-man Vince--long time best friend-- and is a Cubs fan. I was wondering through this like say a girl needed...more
The main person told from is Mac who runs a business in a stall in the boys restroom, a second-man Vince--long time best friend-- and is a Cubs fan. I was wondering through this like say a girl needed...more
This book is definitely a great guy read. At first, I thought it would be good for 4th - 8th grade, but now, after finishing, my gut is to give it readily to 6th-8th grade boys. They will love the plot. I definitely will give it to certain 5th graders but only if I know the boy and his family well. Even though it takes place in elementary, there are so many incidents of crime, violence (beating up), gambling, etc. There was even a curse word at the very end. I'm never sure how parents feel about...more
Sixth graders Mac and Vince run their business out of the 4th stall in the East Wing boys' bathroom. They will solve your problem - any problem - for the right price. But when they take a case that pits them against a high school gang leader, they discover there are some problems that are too big for 11-year-olds to handle. The book is filled with an unusual level of violence considering the 9-11 year-old intended readership. Fights, kicking, biting, and more are described. While he is being bea...more
If there's anything you need, if you have any problem at all, best friends Mac and Vince can fix it for you, for a price of course. Operating out of the fourth stall of the East Wing boys' bathroom, these junior wise guys rule their school and are eagerly looking forward to the possibility of the Chicago Cubs first World Series Game in almost seventy years. Things start to go spectacularly wrong when a legendary high-school crime boss nicknamed Staples moves in on Mac and Vince's turf. This is a...more
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Jan 12, 2013 07:53am