Alligators Overhead!

Pete wakes up on the first day of spring vacation feeling a bit apprehensive about the phone call his aunt is going to get from his principal. At the same time he can’t help but feel bored with the town he lives in. Pete hasn’t lived in the town for very long, only since his parents died. There isn’t much to do and there are a lot of places that are off limits, like the Ornofree Swamp next to his house that is filled with alligators. He only has one friend, Weasel, but they have been getting into too much trouble lately. His aunt has threatened to send him to military school if he doesn’t start behaving. After answering a mysterious phone call, Pete decides it is time for a bike ride. He has to do something to get the creepy voice out of his head. Only his ride doesn’t turn out the way he expects. He finds a mysterious mansion right next to his aunt’s house! At first he thinks he made the house appear, because lately when he thinks something- it happens, whether he wants it to or not. As he looks at the old house he recognizes it from a dream. Once the rest of the town hears about it they begin to speculate about how a house that disappeared 100 years ago is back all of a sudden. Will Pete listen to his aunt and stay out of the house no matter what? What does the old mansion have to do with the Ornofree Swamp? Just what exactly is the strange voice that Pete keeps hearing in his head? Can a familiar be anything other than a cat? You will be on the edge of your seat as Pete takes you on ride you will not forget!

Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie is a mysterious adventure that will keep you guessing. Pete may like to get into trouble, but he is a typical 12 year-old with a best friend who tries to keep him doing the right thing. Poor Weasel! He gets a little frustrated trying to keep them both from getting into serious trouble. I think kids between the ages of 8 and 14 will love this book if they like old houses, witches, animals, and nature. Pete is a good main character because his desire to do the wrong thing often leads him into a situation that is entertaining for the reader. I think Pete has a good heart, but his life hasn’t been easy so far. Now that he has learned a bit more about his past and his present he will be growing up a little faster, whether he wants to or not. I liked that the book had fantasy and mystery mixed together because it kept the possibility open that anything could happen. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading others by this author.Has anyone else read Alligators Overhead? Or another book by C. Lee McKenzie?

Happy Reading!
~LFEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED