The Sixty-Eight Rooms

Mar 06, 2012 Dan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Holy Boring Batman!

Our school district has this great (or could be great) idea: One District, One Book. The idea is the school district will give each family a copy of the same district-selected book and have all parents read the book to their kids. Could be fun, right? Except they keep choosing these horribly boring books! Last year it was The Doll People, about doll-house dolls that are really alive but have to not let the humans know. This year the book was The Sixty-Eight Rooms, about kids w...more Holy Boring Batman!

Our school district has this great (or could be great) idea: One District, One Book. The idea is the school district will give each family a copy of the same district-selected book and have all parents read the book to their kids. Could be fun, right? Except they keep choosing these horribly boring books! Last year it was The Doll People, about doll-house dolls that are really alive but have to not let the humans know. This year the book was The Sixty-Eight Rooms, about kids who find a key that shrinks them down to 5 inches tall and they get to explore the Thorne Rooms (realistic miniature rooms--picture fancy doll house rooms) at the Chicago Art Institue.

Sense a theme?

I guess The Sixty-Eight Rooms could have been a fun story, but it's like the author has some personal mission to educate 8-year-olds on the glories of life as an artist. There were long breaks in the story where the characters wouldn't be doing anything but, ummm . . . I don't even know. I'm sitting here trying to remember what they did but I can't. All I know is that they did NOTHING to advance the plot of the story and it drove me crazy!!!

Plus, Jack and Ruthie, the 11-year-old main characters, are liers. They lied to their parents multiple times. One biggie--they each told their parents they were spending the night at the other's house when in reality they spent the night at the museum. The parents almost found out their deception a few times, and the kids had to tell more lies to keep them from discovering the truth. They get away with their lies, never face consequences, and instead get to have magical adventures. There were multiple times I had to pause the story and remind my kids that these kids of lies are not okay.

Oh, and I'm all for 11-year-old girls and boys being best friends with each other, but spending the night at each others houses? The book is 100% innocent, but seriously?

Why did the school district make us read such a lame-o book?

The kids didn't like it. I didn't like it. The only thing the kids liked is that I was reading to them. Read to your kids. But do not read them this book!

**Update**
So, Mrs. Malone came to visit my kids school today, and the daughter of a friend who has been discussing this book with me raised her hand and ask the auther why the kids lied in her story. Instead of using the opportunity to teach the kids, guess what she said? She told the kids "that the lies did not hurt anyone and the kids told the lies because staying at the museum was a once in a lifetime opportunity." How disappointing! I came back thinking I'd lower my rating of the book by a star, but when I got here I'd already given it the lowest possible rating!(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever done something spectacular, so spectacular that it made you believe that it did not really happen? Have you ever believed in magic, even in the slightest bit? Ruthie and Jack in the book The 68 Rooms by Marianne Malone had an experience that did just that.

The main characters in this book are very relatable and interesting. Ruthie, is a good, hard working student that feels that life is so boring for her and nothing ever unique and fun happens to her. Jack, an adventurous city kid,...more Have you ever done something spectacular, so spectacular that it made you believe that it did not really happen? Have you ever believed in magic, even in the slightest bit? Ruthie and Jack in the book The 68 Rooms by Marianne Malone had an experience that did just that.

The main characters in this book are very relatable and interesting. Ruthie, is a good, hard working student that feels that life is so boring for her and nothing ever unique and fun happens to her. Jack, an adventurous city kid, is living on very little money, but is still always the one that is in good sprits.

Ruthie and Jack were just two ordinary city kids that lived in the heart of Chicago, until they went on a field trip to the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute. They both loved the Thorne Rooms and could not get enough of how real everything looked, even though they were miniature! Jack becomes friends with the security guard who let them in a secret closet just for the guard so they can see how the lighting works. Jack starts to look around the place, so curious and interested. After a couple minutes of wondering around the place, he finds a key. But this was no ordinary key, at his was a very special one. Of course, Ruthie and Jack did not know this at the time. The key would allow them to shrink to five inches, so small, that they would be able to fit into the Thorne Rooms! But the question is, how can they go in without anybody catching them? How is this happening? What will they discover? What will they experience? You will have to read the book to find out!

I think this book was very well written and is by far one of my favorite fantasy books that I have read. The author used a lot of detail and foreshadow. One thing that I did not love was that the author, at some parts of the book, did not describe things very well and just was worded in a confusing way. Luckily, the illustrations were always at a part where I needed a visual. I thought that this book was a very interesting and engrossing. I never wanted to put the book down!

Rating: *****(less)

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Feb 11, 2013 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy, historical-fiction, literature-fiction, series-entry, action-adventure

“Art is the manipulation of someone else’s imagination.” – Sol Saks

Ms. Malone is surely not the only person to see the Thorne Rooms and imagine living in them. But she actually wrote a book based on her imaginings of what wonders her favorite rooms might hold. Charming, light hearted but tinged with melancholy and the occasional brush with danger and mischief, “The Sixty-Eight Rooms” is a charming book of enchantment, mundane life and a fascinating dip into the history of by-gone eras.

At first,...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Eliana S. rated it 5 of 5 stars

The 68 Rooms by: Marianne Malone; is a magical tale about Ruthie, a girl who feels there is no excitement in her life. And Jack, her best friend. Ruthie and Jack's class goes on a field trip to the Art Institute, and go through many interesting exhibits. They finally stop at the Thorne rooms, 68 miniature rooms that are fully furnished. From the second Ruthie saw the rooms, she knew there was something special about them. She continues to visit the Thorne rooms with Jack and makes friends with M...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, audio-book, family, fantasy, friendship, historical-fiction, middle-grade, mystery, series

Snooze. The premise is fantastic. Have you seen the Thorne Rooms? They're amazing! Why wouldn't anyone want to explore them? They're beautiful and so realistic. Unfortunately that's all it seems to have going for it. A book cannot float on a great premise and a real setting which is vividly described. And unfortunately that's what it felt like because none of the other elements were strong enough to keep it going.

Ruth and Jack were not compelling characters, their problems never felt immediate n...more Snooze. The premise is fantastic. Have you seen the Thorne Rooms? They're amazing! Why wouldn't anyone want to explore them? They're beautiful and so realistic. Unfortunately that's all it seems to have going for it. A book cannot float on a great premise and a real setting which is vividly described. And unfortunately that's what it felt like because none of the other elements were strong enough to keep it going.

Ruth and Jack were not compelling characters, their problems never felt immediate nor crucial. I honestly felt like who cares if Jack moves away, maybe Ruth will get out from under her rock. I didn't like them as individuals, and definitely didn't like them as a pair. They didn't have a lot of common sense and never really communicate to each other, at least they don't communicate as friends! As a book that felt like it was trying to be mostly character-driven, or at least should be mostly character-driven, it was rather poorly done.

There were a lot of characters that had interweaving connections, and it almost felt like too much. Too many subplots and too many characters that I didn't get to spend time with and therefore didn't really care for. It turned into a bit of a confusing tangle of who people were, and why they were integral to the plot. Who wants to go through that?

I have to admit that this book wasn't bad, though it's heavily weighted toward the negative side so far. It's mostly the fact that it was boring, I felt almost ambivalent toward it which is in some ways worse than feeling like it was a horrid book. At least then I could say that I felt strongly for it. Instead I got a boring book with lackluster characters and a somewhat predictable plot.* The best part was the descriptions about the rooms, which Marianna Malone did exceptionally well. (This might be because she has a background in art.) I do wish there would have been either photographs or illustrations of the rooms, since they are a real place it would have been nice to have a better mental visual of them.

A quick note on the audio book. The reader was fine-ish. I didn't love her voice, though I was quite impressed with her ability to do accents. This was mostly a personal preference of reading style, and there wasn't anything super awful. There was something a bit grating about her reading though, so perhaps she and the book were a perfect pair.

*I would like to note here that I skipped about 70 pages. I just got too bored and went to the end. Everything ended as I thought I would so I didn't feel like I missed anything. (less)

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Aug 07, 2012 elaynne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

I downloaded this book to listen to whilst (auto) touring around Alaska last month (July 2012). We never got around to listening to it so I listened to it on my own.

Geared toward very young readers (probably 8-12 years old), I found it to be tedious. I imagine if I'd been a young girl, I might have enjoyed it - but because I've not been a very young girl for a long time, I had to force myself to finish it. I will admit, however, that my...more Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

I downloaded this book to listen to whilst (auto) touring around Alaska last month (July 2012). We never got around to listening to it so I listened to it on my own.

Geared toward very young readers (probably 8-12 years old), I found it to be tedious. I imagine if I'd been a young girl, I might have enjoyed it - but because I've not been a very young girl for a long time, I had to force myself to finish it. I will admit, however, that my time-travel interest was piqued.

Apparently the story is based on a true life collection of miniature rooms (1-12" scale) housed in the Chicago Art Institute. Each room is an intricate detail of a particular setting in time. Ruthie and her best friend Jack (both sixth graders) find a key that causes Ruthie to shrink down to the perfect size and when she holds Jack's hand as she's shrinking, he shrinks too. Together they have an adventure neither could imagine because the rooms aren't just rooms, they're gateways to a historical past, specific to each room's decor. They time-travel to France just before the French Revolution and to Salem, MA - during the time of the witch trials.

It's really too bad the author didn't spend more time exploring OTHER historical times; I think it would have helped the story a bit more.

There are a couple of subplots that add a little interest to the book, one being that Jack's mom is facing eviction from their artist loft apartment because times have been hard so making ends meet has been difficult. The other is that one of the guards lost something very important many years prior and because of this loss, which happened roughly about the same time as the death of his wife, it changed the course of his life, and livelihood. The guard story was a poor shadow to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, in my opinion.

I thought it was a stretch to believe that two 6th graders could manage to sneak off and hide inside the museum, in the first place. How convenient that Ruthie's parents went away for the weekend, leaving her older sister in charge of her. And who would let their 11 year old kids go to downtown Chicago ALONE for an entire day? I realize it's supposed to be a fantastical story but really?

I'm sure I've heard/read a similar story somewhere though I can't quite remember it right now.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Victoria Whipple rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, friends, mystery, magic, tcp, war

Ruthie and Jack are middle schoolers who live in Chicago. On a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, they visit the Thorne Rooms; a number of miniature rooms that are reproductions of what an actual room would have looked like in a particular time and place. They are allowed to peek in the corridor that allows access to the rooms, and during their brief visit in there, they find a magical key which allows them to shrink down to 5 inches. More amazingly, once they shrink down and enter the rooms,...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

After reading the plot summary, I was so excited to read this book. It was disappointing. Great concept, and exactly the kind of story I would have loved as a kid, but just not well executed. It felt to me very much like what it was: a grown-up trying to write for children. Something about it was very forced. Malone set things up nicely, but the follow through fell short. The rooms lead into the past! How cool! But Jack and Ruthie only go to two time periods, and then only stay long enough to ha...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, ya

This enchanting story of Jack and Ruthie reminded me of so many different stories that I had read and it also took me back to the days of The Littles that I used to watch on TV. How I used to dream about being miniature and sneaking around being unnoticed while others went about their day not even giving me a second glance. Oh, how my life would be so much more fun and adventurous! When Jack discovers a key at the Art Institute in Chicago he hopes that it will lead to a great adventure but never...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Queen of Bogus rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was about two friends Jack and Ruthie that go to a museum and they go to section called the Thorne Rooms. They find a key that can make them shrink so they end up in the Thorne Rooms and they unlock a lot of history facts and they even get to meet people in history.
I think the genre of this book is Adventure.
I think the compelling literary element is the setting. I know this because Jack and Ruthie always walk in different rooms with different settings, like when they went from room...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Cornmaven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile

This is a delightful story about the magic of imagination, as well as the magic that can happen when you help others. I lived most of my life in the Chicago area, have been to the Art Institute dozens of times, but never discovered the Thorne Rooms, if you can believe that. I only knew about Colleen Moore's miniature dollhouse rooms at the Museum of Science and Industry (and those I would see every time I went there). So the Thorne exhibit is now definitely on my bucket list.

It's a simply writte...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book through the Amazon Vine program as an advanced reading copy. As such, it is missing the final drawings in the book so I can't address those. The description of this book reminded me of a book that I loved as a child "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler". It ended up being a very enjoyable book to read.

Ruthie and Jack are on a field trip to the Chicago Institute of Art where they get to see the Throne Rooms; 68 rooms built in miniature. They convince one of the gu...more I got this book through the Amazon Vine program as an advanced reading copy. As such, it is missing the final drawings in the book so I can't address those. The description of this book reminded me of a book that I loved as a child "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler". It ended up being a very enjoyable book to read.

Ruthie and Jack are on a field trip to the Chicago Institute of Art where they get to see the Throne Rooms; 68 rooms built in miniature. They convince one of the guards to give them a tour of the corridor behind the rooms and while back there they find a silver key. The key causes Ruthie to shrink; her and Jack embark on a series of adventures in the miniature Throne Rooms as they try to unravel the mysteries of the rooms.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. The setting is very cool. I did not know about the Throne rooms and now I really want to go to Chicago and see them! The descriptions are well done and the plot was engaging. Malone wove a lot of wisdom and life lessons into this story as well. The idea that the rooms lead to history is very cool too. Overall I enjoyed Malone's writing style and thought this was a very creative story. Ruthie and Jack are believable characters and Malone does a good job developing the side characters as well.

There were a couple things I had problems with. The dialogue between Ruthie and Jack is really awkward in the beginning of this book. As the book continued that was fixed, but it was like Malone needed some time to get used to the characters' personalities before she could get the dialogue smoothed out. I also thought that Malone took too long to get to the meat of the story; it took almost half of the book to get to the point where they shrink down and explore the rooms. I really wish Malone had got to the point where they explore the rooms quicker and then we could have read more about their exploring! I also wish we had gotten to see more rooms with Ruthie and Jack, they really only ended up exploring a handful of them.

Overall this was a good read, appropriate for all ages. I liked the writing style and the overall story. I wish that the beginning had been shortened up a bit so that we could have spent more time with Ruthie and Jack in the Throne Rooms. I get the feeling there may be a sequel in the making because there are a couple things at the end of the story that hint at adventures to come. If that it is the case, I will most likely check out Malone's next book too!(less)

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Nov 25, 2010 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Have you ever been so enthralled by something, a book, a movie, a piece of artwork; that it magic pulls you in, you can imagine yourself living inside it, as a character in the story? Ruthie has experienced the same thing. She is generally disappointed in her boring life, her small, nothing special apartment, her cramped, shared bedroom, and herself. On a school field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago she finally sees something special. The Thorne Rooms, a set of 68 miniature rooms set into t...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Sweet on Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reader-sr, melissa-g

The very real Thorne Rooms (see the Art Institute in Chicago) are the setting for this creative story, featuring time travel, mystery and magic. The concept is excellent and the Thorne Rooms (68 miniature rooms showcasing European and American history) are clearly fascinating but I was somewhat disappointed with the execution. The level of unnecessary detail makes it a slightly tedious read and the number of coincidences are almost too much even for a kid's fantasy book. That being said, if your...more The very real Thorne Rooms (see the Art Institute in Chicago) are the setting for this creative story, featuring time travel, mystery and magic. The concept is excellent and the Thorne Rooms (68 miniature rooms showcasing European and American history) are clearly fascinating but I was somewhat disappointed with the execution. The level of unnecessary detail makes it a slightly tedious read and the number of coincidences are almost too much even for a kid's fantasy book. That being said, if your reader enjoys adventure and magic and has a bit of patience, there are definitely some redeeming qualities to this story.

It begins with Ruthie who is feeling a little sorry for herself. She shares a room with her sister and doesn’t feel like she has enough space. She thinks that nothing exciting happens to her and that her life is pretty boring. Her best friend Jack, however, is able to turn any situation into an interesting one. I guess he’s just “lucky” like that she thinks, jealously. Everything changes though, when Ruthie and Jack discover a special key during their visit to the Thorne Rooms. It turns out that this magic key enables Ruthie to shrink down to just the right size to actually go inside and explore the Thorne Rooms. It does more than that though. It gives Ruthie the excitement she’s been hoping for and a new found appreciation for her previously dull life. Ruthie and Jack decide they need to sneak into the room behind the exhibit so that they can truly understand the power of the key. In order to do this, they “borrow” and secretly copy the key to that room from their new friend, Mr. Bell who is a guard there. They also lie to their families so that they can spend the night in the museum. Ruthie figures out a way to get Jack to shrink too (although she is the one with the powers) and they are able to explore the rooms together. Woven into the Thorne Room story line are several other subplots. There’s the concern over Jack’s mom being unable to afford their rent and the possibility that they may have to move. Then there is the once successful artist, Mr. Bell whose career as a photographer took a downturn after his most prized photographs disappeared years ago. Lastly, there’s Ruthie’s family friend, Mrs. McVittie, a local antique dealer who unexpectedly pops in on Ruthie and later comes in handy as a translator. Believe it or not, all these people are linked to The Thorne Rooms and Ruthie and Jack end up having an impact on each of their lives.

One of the best parts of this book is the excitement that Ruthie and Jack feel about history and the thrill they get from visiting with people from the past. I actually wish there had been more of that. They made me curious about the time periods that they explored and I’m definitely considering a trip to Chicago to see the Thorne Rooms. I hope they inspire other readers to do the same. The friendship between 6th graders, Jack and Ruthie is another nice feature of this book, setting a good example of how to help each other out, back each other up and just generally watch out for each other. The only strange thing I found is that they don’t seem to mention any other friends. I do also like the jacket cover showing a miniature Ruthie entering one of the rooms, but the few illustrations sprinkled throughout the book seem slightly out of place and don’t really add to the flow of the story. Finally, there is so much packed into these pages – time travel, miniature worlds, missing photographs, a real life financial crisis, a school research project – that you might want to make sure your reader is ready to absorb it all.(less)

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Sep 01, 2010 Andy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star

The miniature Thorne rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago provide a magical setting around which this book evolves. Although flawed, it was fun to read because of this Chicago connection.

While on a field trip to the AIC, Jack discovers a key with the initials CM on it. When his friend Ruthie touches the key, she (along with anything else she is touching) shrinks to only a few inches in size and is able to enter the historical dioramas. Actually, she is not only able to enter the rooms, but als...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult

Do you like art? Is a museum your favorite way to spend a free afternoon? If so, The Sixty-Eight Rooms will likely appeal to you. The concept certainly appealed to me: two sixth graders visit The Art Institute of Chicago on a field trip and the Thorne Rooms (featuring sixty eight miniature rooms) capture their imaginations.

I enjoyed following Ruthie and Jack into the miniature rooms, but found the book to be weaker overall than I'd like. Malone seemed very intent on making sure she was consisten...more

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Aug 07, 2010 An Abundance of Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: elementary-middle-grades-books

Ruthie's class wraps up a school field trip to Art Institute of Chicago with a visit to the Thorne Rooms- a collection of 68 miniature rooms. Ruthie becomes a little obsessed with the tiny perfection of the rooms and the princess-like quality of one room in particular. She imagines herself sleeping in such a wonderful bed, very different from the crowded room she shares with her older sister.

Ruthie's best friend Jack's mother, a struggling but well known local artist, strikes up a conversation w...more Ruthie's class wraps up a school field trip to Art Institute of Chicago with a visit to the Thorne Rooms- a collection of 68 miniature rooms. Ruthie becomes a little obsessed with the tiny perfection of the rooms and the princess-like quality of one room in particular. She imagines herself sleeping in such a wonderful bed, very different from the crowded room she shares with her older sister.

Ruthie's best friend Jack's mother, a struggling but well known local artist, strikes up a conversation with Mr. Bell, one of the museum guards. She discovers that he was a famous photographer, but gave up his work when his wife died. Jack talks Mr. Bell into letting him take a quick peak into the corridor that runs behind the rooms, just to see how everything is set up and maintained. While looking in the underwhelming corridor slash storage room, Mr.Bell tells them how is daughter used to do her homework in the corridor while he was at work. On the way out, Ruthie sees Jack pick something up of the floor and pocket it.

Later on Jack shows Ruthie a lovely and intricate key that he found on the corridor floor. When Ruthie holds it, she begins to shrink. They then discover that whatever Ruthie hold also shrinks. Both kids are then able to shrink and explore the Thorne Rooms. These explorations lead quickly become out of the ordinary when the kids discover that each room is linked to the living past. In addition to being able to go back in time, Ruthie and Jack find clues in the Thorne Rooms that indicate they aren't the first people to be inside them.

Malone spent a lot of time describing the rooms, but it was hard to imagine how perfect each miniature room was without pictures. The characters were diverse and fairly believable, especially their reactions to going back in time or fighting giant bugs. I also liked how Ruthie and Jack did some creative problem solving to get past obstacles when they were shrunk. I did find that the story lagged at times, generally when the author was going into a lot of descriptive detail.

The story was similar to The Wright Three or From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Unlike The Wright Three, the historical aspect didn't get overly detailed or confusing. There was just enough history to support the story, be interesting, and maybe encourage readers to find out more on their own.

Verdict:
Despite the fact that the story had some slow parts, this was an interesting and easy to follow story. There were several mysteries, but not all were solved, but as one character points out that's part of the fun. If you, or a child you might buy for, liked From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, then I would recommend getting this book. Otherwise, I would say check it out from your local or school library. That being said, I do plan on ordering this book for my school library, along with a picture book of the actual Thorne Rooms. I think that this book would appeal to manyl of my students.(less)

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Mar 01, 2010 evelyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: readin2010

this is going to be an unnecessarily long review, but the only reason i finished reading this book was because it kept giving me more reasons to want to rant about something.

i got the galley for this a few months ago. the owner of the bookstore gave it to me because she knew i was from chicago and thought i would like a book that takes place at the art institute. she was right, i was totally excited. i started reading it and had to stop 20 pages in because the prose, especially the dialogue, was...more this is going to be an unnecessarily long review, but the only reason i finished reading this book was because it kept giving me more reasons to want to rant about something.

i got the galley for this a few months ago. the owner of the bookstore gave it to me because she knew i was from chicago and thought i would like a book that takes place at the art institute. she was right, i was totally excited. i started reading it and had to stop 20 pages in because the prose, especially the dialogue, was just so clunky. every paragraph feels like it could have been cut in half. for example, when kids are caught asking for someone to continue throwing a muffin on the school bus:

"'I don't think so,' said Mrs. Biddle, walking down the aisle and holding out her hand for the muffin. 'You guys know the rules: no throwing food--on the bus or anywhere else!'"

really? you needed to spell out the rule for them? didn't they know the rule? and if you're doing it for your reader, give them a little credit. i'm pretty sure that most kids could figure out exactly what this mysterious "rule" was that they were breaking. also, this is one of the rare instances where the characters don't say the name of the person they're speaking to aloud, which drives me crazy. "I don't know, which one do you like, Ruthie?" ugh. she knows you're talking to her. no one talks like that, and the people who do are super creepy.

so i put the book down originally.

then, a couple months later, the sales representative from random house comes into the store to talk about books coming out this winter. she is incredibly excited about this book. "oh, i just love it! you have to read it," she says. so i think maybe i should give it another chance. but then i forget about it again.

which brings us to last week, when the book was officially released. i unpacked the box and for a second thought i was holding a new blue balliett book in my hand. the font choice, jacket design, and book layout would all fit in perfectly with balliett's chicago trilogy, and considering the setting of the book i guess i can see where they're coming from. kids who liked those books will pick up this book, and the plot summary will seal the deal. it's a little sad, though, that the book can't make a place of its own on the shelf. that's mostly on the publisher, but malone was asking for it a little. "a boy and a girl in 6th grade at a fancy private school uncover a mystery while on a class field trip to the art institute of chicgao." oh yeah, i've read that book. it's called "chasing vermeer."

but for some reason that was enough to make me want to try it again. and now i am here. i finished the book, but all of my original complaints about it stand, with the added complaint that there is not really much of a mystery or urgency to the plot. 90% of the book is just "look! i'm small! and in these small rooms!" we find out a little bit about how that happened (sort of) and who else had done it, but that's it. the only thing that kept me reading was that i kind of wanted to find more things to complain about.

there will be some kids, especially in chicago who have seen the thorne rooms, who will love this book. poorly-written dialogue never stopped me when i was 10. but when i think about how this manuscript got an agent, and then an editor got hold of it and loved it and revised it, and then a sales rep looked at it and enthusiastically talked it up to the children's book buyer at her local independent book store, i get frustrated when the end product is just so lame. again: ugh. (less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 05, 2011 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, adventure

I would rate this one 2.5 stars if I could. When I first head about The Sixty-Eight Rooms, I was excited and intrigued by the book's premise. Having now read it, I am feeling a bit disappointed by the book's overall lack of 'oomph.' Twelve-year-old friends Ruthie and Jack visit the miniature Thorne Rooms on a class trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Ruthie is immediately entranced by the magic of the rooms. Imagine her surprise when she and Jack discover a key that allows them to explore thes...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Brynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Admittedly, most people might not give this book five stars. Four would be more of a group response, but I can't help it, it is awesome.

It is the dream book I wish had been around when I was in 5th or 6th grade.

Basically, there are the Thorne Rooms as part of a museum in Chicago. These are real, doll house-size rooms that a woman had built with perfect detail in many styles of many times periods. There are English castles from the 1500s, French rooms designed during the Revolution time, America...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ys-books

I love books that have a local connection, and this one certainly does. When my husband and I moved to suburban Chicago in the late 1970s, the Thorne Rooms in The Art Institute, were one of the first "city" things we explored, and I loved them, so I was really looking forward to reading this story featuring the rooms.

The Thorne Rooms are 68 miniature rooms, each set in a different historical period, from a 16th century castle to an 18th century French villa to a Colonial American homestead, and...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Pam Torres rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't ever any good at the Barbie and Ken scene. For one, my progressive mother thought that Barbie wasn't a healthy image for a little girl, and second, I was particular about the make-believe I participated in. Usually, it consisted of potions made from locust wings and hedge-apples or secret forts made from branches.
Once I was determined to recreate Peter Pan's underground home and forced my younger brother to dig for days. (It's good to be the oldest.) When that didn't pan out (ha!) we...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Dan Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what an interesting and enjoyable fantasy selection. This wonderful book is the story of two friends, Ruthie and Jack, who are 6th grade students at Oakton, a private school in Chicago. While on a class field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago they become fascinated with a display entitled "The Thorne Rooms." The Thorne Rooms are 68 rooms, each a miniature replica of a room from a different period in history. As they are viewing the exhibit Jack finds a small key which, it turns out, when...more Wow, what an interesting and enjoyable fantasy selection. This wonderful book is the story of two friends, Ruthie and Jack, who are 6th grade students at Oakton, a private school in Chicago. While on a class field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago they become fascinated with a display entitled "The Thorne Rooms." The Thorne Rooms are 68 rooms, each a miniature replica of a room from a different period in history. As they are viewing the exhibit Jack finds a small key which, it turns out, when held by Ruthie can make her shrink in size. Upon discovering this, the two kids hatch a plan to sneak into the Art Institute and spend an overnight discovering the wonders each of the rooms holds. As they do so they encounter individuals from different historic periods. The things they learn, both while in the rooms, and through the experiences they have following this visit, make for an enjoyable and fascinating read.

As I read this book my mind was taken back to a book I read last year titled Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet. Although the similarities between these two books is slight I couldn't help but think of the two of them together. In Chasing Vermeer the main characters, also a boy and girl, are also 6th graders at a school in Chicago. Their story also centers around an art museum although I can't recall if it's the same one or a different one. Either way, both authors have found a way to develop believable characters who find an interest in the world of art. The similarities between these two books do not go beyond what I have mentioned as one is a fantasy while the other is a mystery however both are well worth the time spent reading them.

I was pleasantly surprised with the way the story ended. The author brought the story to a logical, well thought out conclusion while at the same time leaving the door open for the story to continue in another book. I believe that this book will appeal to both boys and girls. Although I found myself a little bit disinterested in the story in the early going, once I vowed to persevere and really focused on getting through the book I found that I couldn't put it down. I eagerly look forward to the sequel which is due in January 2012. (less)

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Apr 11, 2010 Vicki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, juvenile-fiction, children-s-books, fantasy, 2010

This should have been totally stellar. I won't beat a dead horse here, the other reviews are saying that the prose is clunky, and they're exactly right. Other reviews are saying that the dialog is off, and they're exactly right. Most things people are saying about this are correct: the writing is very bad. I'm giving it two stars for imagination. I will not be recommending this book to any kids. I"ll let it find its own way. Because while it's true that crummy writing never stopped me from likin...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Miss Pippi the Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, adolescent-audio-adventures

Welcome to a new view of the Thorne Rooms from the Art Institute of Chicago. The Thorne Rooms are miniatures that depict different times and places in history. While on a field trip, Jack and Ruthie discover the magic of the Thorne Rooms. It goes beyond the historic details of each room. Jack find a key and when Ruthie holds it, the key takes her on an unforgettable journey to the present and the past.

Malone grew up in the Chicago area and shares the lives of two elementary students living in th...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Hollowspine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This is the story of an average 12 year old girl, Ruthie, living in Chicago. She has an older sister who hogs the bathroom, a best friend who always forgets his homework and a magical key to the Thorne Rooms at the Arts Institute of Chicago.

Her best friend Jack discovered the key while they were on a field trip to the AIC with their classmates. When they entered the Thorne Rooms Ruthie was immediately enamored of them. Jack, being a young boy, wasn't so impressed by the little rooms, but was int...more This is the story of an average 12 year old girl, Ruthie, living in Chicago. She has an older sister who hogs the bathroom, a best friend who always forgets his homework and a magical key to the Thorne Rooms at the Arts Institute of Chicago.

Her best friend Jack discovered the key while they were on a field trip to the AIC with their classmates. When they entered the Thorne Rooms Ruthie was immediately enamored of them. Jack, being a young boy, wasn't so impressed by the little rooms, but was interested in how it all worked. He chatted up a guard and was allowed to take a peek behind the scenes into the back corridor of the rooms, where one would go to clean or fix items in the room. Ruthie had her chance to look as well, and just as they were backing out to go saw Jack reach down and pluck something from the floor.

As soon as they were alone Jack showed her the key, an ornate and beautiful item. When Ruthie touched it however, something magical happened. She shrunk! Although Ruthie wouldn't have described herself as a daring person, she knew, whatever the consequences she had to get inside the Thorne Rooms.

Her and Jack discover a host of different mysteries beside the mystery of the magic key and through the book try to solve them, by exploring the rooms, talking to various people and sneaking into the AIC overnight.

I enjoyed the book in some ways, it would indeed be very magical to explore the tiny rooms and look inside all the cupboards and under the beds for lost artifacts...but I found that the magic in the book was made very mundane for me rather than exciting. It was also hard for me as a reader to relate to Ruthie at all, since she didn't seem very capable and was really too practical to let anything to amazing or magical happen to her. She also was at times not very consistent. At one point she and Jack were threatened by a cockroach in their diminished sizes. Ruthie fought the roach very effectively, then took a courageous leap regained her full size, picked up the roach in her hand and then stomped it ferociously. Later she is disgusted and afraid of a dust bunny. Still later she frees a fly (while tiny) from a trap.

The amount that Jack was responsible for most things going well, and the amount that Ruthie relied on him was also rather disappointing. Without Jack's superior abilities in most areas (courage, fast talking, improvising, knowledge of history and writing ability) Ruthie would have been less fortunate.

The book was also sugar sweet, a very large warm fuzzy. Of the mysteries that Jack and Ruthie discovered, none were left unsolved and all ended in returning hope, happiness and love to those around them. It was a little too sappy for me.

Another thing that bothered me about the book was that throughout the story the kids, Ruthie especially, would act as if they would "grow up" and forget all about the fact that they had once been shrunken to 5 inches tall and explored magical rooms in the Art Institute. Just like Susan forgot about going to Narnia. How could you forget? I just cannot believe that if something so amazing, astounding and magical happened to me I would forget it. It just wouldn't happen. I also wondered why everyone who visited the Thorne Rooms seemed to only have a few visits before they for some reason never went in again?

It just seemed to me that the possibilities for adventure in the Thorne Rooms were barely scratched by this book which seemed to be more about family togetherness, being good neighbors and restoring everyone's everyday happiness than magic or adventure.(less)

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Mar 03, 2010 Jen Petro-Roy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, middle-grade

I was highly anticipating this book, as the concept of two eleven-year olds, Ruthie and Jack, who discover a mystery behind the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago is an intriguing premise. I was hoping this would be a good real-alike to either The 39 Clues or Blue Balliet's books. However, I found this book to be hopelessly derivative (even the cover screamed 'see how much like Chasing Vermeer' I am?), the characters to be fairly underdeveloped (especially the motivation of R...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun, light read. It was sort of a From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

meets the Borrowers

meets Mary Pope Osborne's

Magic Tree House series.
Ruthie and Jack go on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, and while there find a key that allows them to shrink and enter the Thorne Room Miniatures. While there, they find out they are not the first to enter these rooms...
I found the Thorne Rooms so fascinating, I had to look them up online. Maybe someday I'll get to...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic-magicians, chicago, art, miniature, 5013

Gosh, if The Sixty-Eight Rooms doesn't intice you to visit The Thorne Rooms at The Art Institute of Chicago, I don't know what will! A lifelong resident of Chicago and the Chicago-area, I have seen these magnificient miniatures, but a very long time ago. Now, I want to go back!

In the story, The Sixty-Eight Rooms, best friends Ruthie and Jack find a magical key while on a field trip to AIC. They discover that Ruthie (but not Jack) can shrink to a miniature size to wander The Thorne Rooms. Cleverl...more

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title link	preview: The Sixty-Eight Rooms
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The Sixty-Eight Rooms (Sixty-Eight Rooms #1)

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