Floors

Floors #1

by Patrick Carman, Chris Turnham (Illustrator)

Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel.

The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook

261 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

I have been a lifelong writer and storyteller. Salem, Oregon is where I spent my formative years and I graduated from Willamette University. After college, I spent a decade living in Portland, Oregon where I worked in advertising, game design, and technology.

I've written young adult and children's books for Scholastic, Little Brown Books For Young Readers and Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers.

I've been fortunate enough to have had some bestselling series work: The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, and Skeleton Creek. Here's a fun note...the books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages. Currently I'm developing a few new-media projects. Check out DARK EDEN to experience this type of cross-platform project.

When I'm not writing or creating a story, I spend my free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball and tennis, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with my wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[♡ Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der 10-jährige Leo wohnt zusammen mit seinem Vater im Keller des Whippet-Hotels in New York. Leos Vater ist der Hausmeister des Hotels, in dem wirklich immer etwas repariert werden muss. Sowieso ist das Hotel kein normales Hotel, denn es gibt hier geheime Zimmer und sogar geheime Stockwerke, Enten auf dem Dach, außergewöhnliche Gäste und einen Haifischkopf, der Listen ausspuckt. Als der Hotelbesitzer spurlos verschwindet, beginnt für Leo das Abenteuer seines bisherigen Lebens.

* Meine Meinung *
Die Geschichte ist gedacht für Kinder im Alter von 10 bis 12 Jahren. Obwohl hier Jungen die Hauptrollen spielen, werden bestimmt auch Mädchen Freude an dieser doch sehr schrägen Geschichte finden können.
Leo erlebt im Buch sehr fantastische Abenteuer, die die Fantasie anregen und einfach Spaß machen. Auch lernt er einen guten Freund kennen, und man kann sehr gut mitverfolgen, wie die Freundschaft von Leo und Remi immer weiter wächst und tiefer wird. Das hat mir sehr gefallen!
Auch das Ende der Geschichte ist schlüssig und gut gemacht und vermittelt außerdem noch eine Botschaft.
Fazit: Ein wirklich tolles Kinderbuch für Jungen und auch für Mädchen!

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by a middle grade book with ducks as significant characters. I also usually like the little mystery-type books. And the plot was mostly interesting. I had a hard time seeing a whole lot of significance to all of the things the main character had to do, but they were somewhat entertaining. And, really, I don't think his demonstrations of bravery really merited the end result for someone of his age. Let's be at least a little realistic. But maybe I was just bugged because the book was really pretty sexist. There was only one living good female character, and she was a cliche sweet mother with a very small role. True, plenty of the men were a bit quirky, but not bad. While the bad "guys," in fact, were all women. Although both the main character and Merganzer (don't know how it's spelled since I'm a listener more than a reader these days) loved their mothers,the beloved dead mother is too cliche. Since they were both young when their mothers died, what do they love but a memory of someone loving them, not a real woman with both faults and strengths. Curiously, too, the good women, dead or alive, were all sweet, personality-less mothers. But the bad women were single.

[Marcus Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT WAS sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo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good! the first book I've ever read that I've been able to finish in twenty-four hours!!

[Elena]

I didn't finish this book because I absolutely COULD NOT STAND the person reading it in the audio version!! My first grader would be more pleasant to listen to!! I actually listened to most of it, and did enjoy the story line, kind of whimsical & very creative. But the audio version ruined it for me. I'm not even going to rate it, I'm too mad. By all means give it a try...but read it, DO NOT GET THE AUDIO VERSION! (did I make my point clear enough?)

P.S. In fairness to Jesse Bernstein (the narrator of the audio version of this book) I need to say that I did some research after posting my statement above. He has narrated several popular books and when I listened to samples of the other books, none were as choppy or segmented as his reading of Floors. Sooooo, while I didn't like how he did this book, that is not to say that he hasn't done a great job with the other books he narrates. There, I feel better now! Just google it, listen to some samples, and you will see what I mean.

[˗ˏˋ kacie ˎˊ˗]

Quite fun! as a book published in 2011, it stood the test of time. Was it predictable? I mean, for any adult reading this, the trajectory would be pretty obvious from the beginning, yet I think kids would really enjoy this adventurous, slightly spooky, magical, action-packed mystery set in a hotel. My only real criticism is that the friendship between Leo and Remi could have been more developed, bc Remi often felt dispensable to Leo. And Leo’s character in general wasn’t very likeable (me being very critical of a 10 yo kid lol).

I’m gonna skip the rating for this one bc I feel weird rating a juvenile fiction and my rating probably wouldn’t be very reflective of the experience children might get from this book. 👀🙏🏻

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh where to begin...


While reading...


Comparing this to the masterpiece that is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...um no sorry


I'm trying to think of a redeemable quality and I'm lost. I am shocked by the high average rating because this book was utter garbage. It feels like it was written by a kid not for a kid. I am a firm believer that children's books should be held to the same standard as adult books and the quality of this book is lacking, it feels empty and thrown together.

First there's the plot, which is boring. It seems like the author looked at a list of "Things Kids Like" and just threw a bunch of stuff into the hotel. What do kids like? ah sharks, got it! Ummm robots, ya totally! Gee, how about cakes? Yes, a whole cake room. Um rollercosters, ghosts, trains! Check, check, and check. As a result there is a complete lack of genuine creativity, imagination, and logic. Guess what, there was some method to Wonka's madness because at the end of the day he was churning out chocolate. How many rooms are booked at the Whippet...3....4? Even the basic details are off, um in what world do people hire 10 year-old children as bus boys?

The characters are incredibly flat, uninteresting, and cliche, in some cases even offensive. Our hero of the story, Leo is so boring and nothing like any 10-year-old boy I've ever met. Plus how can we look up to him or cheer him on when he really doesn't do anything. He never has to figure anything out for himself, he is constantly given step by step instructions and simply reacts to the events around him.

Then there are the women/girls in this story, they suck. All the living female characters are nasty, mean, selfish, and stupid. There are a few exceptions but they don't make this book any less sexist. Pillar the stereotypical Latina mother of Remy, Leo's idiot sidekick, could be considered an exception but she speaks in broken English, amounts to a nothing character, and doesn't exactly come across as a very loving or caring mother. The other exception would be the two dead mothers in this story who are of course elevated to saint status. Still they are dead and have no personalities, their main qualities include loving their sons and being sickly.

***Side note: The narrator for this audio book should never work again, all of his voices were horrendous, but especially the Spanish accents, Pillar sounded like an Indian with a speech impediment.***

Then there is Wonka Merganser who isn't a very likable character at all. Aside from being very annoying and basically patronizing every single character in the book, I find the fact that he tricked Mrs. Pompadour extremely unethical. He knew that she was recently divorced and was left without a cent to her name and he still baited her by offering her money to sabotage the hotel. Um? What the hell? That isn't a very nice thing to do, and as for saying that her acceptance of the money was a betrayal of trust is outrageous. Hey Merganser, you disappeared, decided to play dress up, lied to Mrs. Pompadour and bribed her when you knew she was in desperate need of money. PLUS she is a fricken guest at the hotel why should she have any loyalty to you to begin with, you fricken nut.

Basically, this whole book was a waste of time and that makes me very angry. I'll admit I picked it up because it was marketed as a Charlie and Chocolate Factory read-a-like, which it isn't. It is more like a bad reenactment where the places and names have been changed to protect the innocent. Yes there are similarities but no emotion or whimsy. Ready Player One did a great job taking Willy Wonka and making it new and fresh and different. This book however is one big FAIL.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, but I felt like it was trying too hard to be wacky. A lot of times it was hard for me to envision what was happening.

2019 Popsugar Challenge: A book revolving around a puzzle or a game

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

261 pages. This was a very interesting book. There is a very unusual hotel right in the middle of Manhattan with strange rooms, ducks parading to indoor pools and a boy who is trying to help his maintenance man dad keep the place up for a mysterious owner. He receives a challenge and with the help of a friend, he embarks on a rather difficult journey to find clues while avoiding a nosy woman who serves as the hotel manager. It is quite a detailed story and is leveled at fifth grade, but vocabulary and length might lend itself better to middle school. Recommended for 5th and up.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone who loved Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library. This story has the same elements--whimsy, adventure, and all around fun. Floors takes place in a hotel instead of a library, and instead of a treasure hunt to escape, this one is more of a treasure hunt to save the hotel...and there are ducks, which are pretty awesome. I didn't love this one QUITE as much as Mr. Lemoncello--maybe because I'm a big old library nerd--but still a fantastic adventure.

[Nora Winterton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars for a few reasons. First, it was really intriguing the whole time. I would categorize as a mystery, and I really like mysteries. Another thing I liked about Floors was how the story of two boys becoming friends was intertwined in the main story. However, it sometimes seemed that the author was repetitive with his word choice. All in all, a very clever story and I enjoyed it!

[noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best of the best

[Anita Deacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to stay engaged, but I think 8 year old me would have enjoyed it. Some fun Roald Dahl vibes.

[Bookphile · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my quest to make a reader out of my eight-year-old daughter, I've taken to reading a lot of children's books with her. My experience have, in general, been kind of hit or miss. Sometimes I really like something, but she doesn't. Others, she likes them and I don't. It's always a good feeling when we find a book that bridges that gap, one that both parent and child can enjoy. Floors is one such book. There will be a few spoilers in this review.

There is a lot about Floors to recommend it, but I was drawn in by the sort of wacky description of the book. That description really only scratches the surface. As we read about the many themed rooms in the hotel, I really marveled at the depth of the author's imagination. For me, the most apt description is to the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The Whippet Hotel offers a veritable feast for the imagination: from a room centered around robots to the Cake Room, you just can't help but be drawn into the author's vivid descriptions. By the end of the book, you will wish that the Whippet Hotel was real and that you could visit it. It would put to shame anything Las Vegas can throw at you. I'm extremely, extremely impressed by just how fantastical and wonderfully imagined the hotel is. It's a character in its own right.

But the hotel isn't the only thing this book has going for it. I also really enjoyed the characters of Leo and Remi, and the gradual evolution of their friendship. Leo has a really lovely back story, and I liked the book's messages about love and loss and learning to move on. Leo handles all of these themes in a way that struck me as very lifelike and my daughter didn't have any trouble relating to him. Leo is everything a good character should be: believable, admirable, yet still flawed. I really like books where children act like children and the author takes their concerns seriously.

Also interesting to me was the way Merganzer's similar childhood experiences were interwoven with those of Leo. There are some very poignant and lovely passages in which Merganzer recounts childhood experiences with his mother. I also have a son, so the theme of two boys growing up without their mothers definitely tugged at my heartstrings.

My only real disappointment in the novel was with the ending, which just didn't really work for me. There was a lot of buildup but the ending was unsatisfying. It mirrors the Will Wonka film in a lot of ways, so I found some aspects of it very predictable though, of course, the triumph of the virtuous was satisfying. Still, I wish it had felt a little less predictable and that Merganzer wouldn't have emerged as a sort of Deus Ex Machina.

[Felix Raeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Floors by Patrick Carman is a great book about a boy named Leo and he has a lot of adventures in a mysterious and wacky hotel. Even ducks are there! Leo brings a duck named Betty on his adventures while the headmaster of the hotel is gone. Leo has found many things. At the hotel, there are keys which can open doors.

I recommend this book to people who like adventure and mysterious books. In this book there is a lot of adventure because he opens a lot of rooms where no one has ever been. He is staying with his father at the hotel. They have walkie talkies to communicate with each other. I think this is the best book I have ever read.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished an Advance Reading Copy of Floors, and I really enjoyed it. It's action-packed and full of wackiness. The main character is 10-year-old Leo. Along with his new friend Remi and Betty the duck, Leo follows clues and riddles on an adventure to save the zany Whippet Hotel. I think this book would appeal to fans of Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Sachar). It shares many elements with The Mysterious Benedict Society and with The Westing Game, but is lighter and less complex than those two.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine what would happen if Willie Wonka invented a hotel? That's what the Whippet Hotel reminds me of - a duck pond on the roof, secret rooms, crazy elevators, robots named Blop - it seems like something Wonka would make. Leo and his dad live in the hotel, working as the maintenance staff to keep things running smoothly. But when the owner disappears and hasn't been seen for over 100 days, things begin to unravel. Read along to find out if Leo and his dad can keep the hotel put together and discover where the owner has gone.

[Makai_teixeira]

This was a very interesting book

[Nico · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I think some people will really, really enjoy this (especially kids!) but it wasn't quite for me.

First off, I want a stay at that hotel. I really enjoyed the setting and all the themed floors - especially the train inside a library with a skylight, which is just, like, a fantasy of mine. This middle grade definitely tended towards the younger side in its narration, which isn't generally my preference, although we got some good themes of loss sprinkled throughout which was nicely done. I generally enjoy middle grade when the kids are acting way more mature for their age than they should be. Leo and Remy acted pretty mature for their age, but still, well, like kids. Nothing wrong with it, just not as much my jam.

Something that just rubbed me the wrong way was the running gag that Remy, a Hispanic boy, smelled like enchiladas. When he was hiding in a room the villain knew he was there because "she smelled enchiladas". At one point he was just straight up called "enchiladas". I get that at one point he had an enchilada in his pocket, so that would maybe smell (??), but it just didn't need to be there at all and felt kinda gross. I'm done saying enchilada now.

Anyway, I listened to this on audiobook, a format I've criminally underutilized lately, which was a lot of fun. The voice of our villian, Ms. Sparks, was so effectively grating and irritating I wanted to reach through my phone and kick her out of the hotel myself.

Overall, a lot of fun with Willy Wonka vibes, but with the younger vibes from this middle grade I'm happy to move onto something else.

[Paige Knowlton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is really intriguing, but there was something about the flow of the writing style that made it challenging to remain immersed in the world. The biggest problem was that it felt like a lot of things were mentioned repetitively or the obvious was stated, making the reader want to skip a few sentences in search of where the story moved on to the next topic.
e.g.
- "He was reminded in that split second of one very important word from Merganzer's note. Duck! In this particular case, his mind flashed a message: Merganzer probably wasn't talking about a real duck. He probably meant you're supposed to duck. Not one to take chances, Leo ducked..."
- "Should he hold the boxes tight, or pick up Betty and hold her tight, or was the floor about to fa- The third thing Leo thought - the thought about the floor falling away - was the reason he was supposed to hold on tight."
This style of wording things occurs very frequently throughout the text.

I will still read the rest of the series (since I rented the trilogy from the library at the same time so I might as well), because I am curious enough to discover the entire plot, but I'm not as excited as I typically am to get into the next book of a series. Hopefully the writing style feels smoother in the next one.

UPDATE: I made it through the second book, but it didn't leave me intrigued enough to want to continue on to the third book. I'm DNF-ing this series.

[TF · Rating 4 out of 5]

HELLO EVERYONE I JUST FOUND THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK AFTER IT HAD BEEN LONG LOST IN THE DEPTHS OF MY MEMORY FOR SEVERAL YEARS. MY THIRD GRADE TEACHER READ THIS WHOLE SERIES TO OUR CLASS AND I COULD ONLY REMEMBER A FEW CHARACTERISTICS FROM IT AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH I SEARCHED I COULD NOT FIND THE NAME
OF THIS GODDAMNED BOOK.
BUT BY A STROKE OF PURE LUCK AND ONE FINAL VERY SPECIFIC GOOGLE SERCH, BY GEORGE I FOUND IT.
I CAN FINALLY SLEEP AT NIGHT.

[Bridie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fav book

[Kaitlyn Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a goodwill buy. It is a neat, well written book. It has a neat ending, too.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Blop preferred to say ten thousand words a day; after that he calmed down considerably.”

Blop and I have this in common.

[Meredith Beam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, and immersive! Sweet, well-builg characters set in a wacky, intriguing, and beautiful world of an eccentric hotel. Very fun for kids! definitely one that could be read aloud chapter by chapter before bedtime.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book, this is definitely it. 272 pages of imagination. Leo lives in the Whippet Hotel and he's the maintenance man along with his father. The Whippet Hotel, however, is unlike many hotels you may have visited. Each room is full of surprises, each with an unbelievable theme. From the robot room with actual robots to an entire room made of cake, this hotel exceeds the standards. Leo, having worked at the hotel for years, soon finds an odd box in the elevator for him. Little does he know that more boxes are to follow, and that the entire future of the Whippet hotel depends on him. From hidden floors to a plan to sabotage the hotel, Leo finds himself discovering new things about the hotel every day. Can Leo save the hotel?

This is the third time I've read this book. It gets better every time! I love the imagination put into this book, as well as the creation of the world. The personality of Leo, Remi, and especially Ms. Sparks are incredibly distinct, and I loved the way that Patrick Carman crafted the chapters and the writing. I would recommend this to everyone- even adults!! I could not put this down. Best book ever!

[Athen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. It is about a boy named Leo who lives with his Dad and they are matinence men for The Whippet, the wackiest hotel in New York City. The Whippet hotel was built by Merganzer Whippet who has mysteriously disappeared for the last one hundred days. One day Leo was walking Merganzer's ducks when he found a mysterious purple box in the duck elevator with his name on it. Leo goes on a journey to find more of these boxes and the secret floors of the Whippet to save the hotel he lives in and loves. He takes the new doorman Remi and a duck with him on this incredible adventure. This book was so well written and has so many twists and turns. I can tell you that you won't see the ending coming! I would recommend this book to everyone who likes fantasy mixed with realistic fiction.

[Bailey Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leo Fillmore is the janitor’s son at the wacky Whippet Hotel. But his relatively routine life of helping his widowed dad with maintenance tasks and walking the hotel’s resident ducks is unexpectedly interrupted when four mysterious boxes are left for him. He follows the clues to discover hidden floors, fanciful rooms, and even an unexpected friendship. But Leo soon realizes that the fate of the Whippet Hotel rests in his hands. Will he solve the mystery in time?

“Floors” is an entertaining, fanciful, magical story. It embraces healthy parent-child relationships and friendships, while giving kids an adventure like no other.

Patrick Carman brings the quirky Whippet Hotel to life, with its crazy rooms and equally strange guests. And he keeps the reader glued to the pages as Leo searches for clues and finds himself on the greatest adventure of his life.

I liked it!

[Allison Hawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Floors by Patrick Carman is a cute little adventure.

With strange rooms, almost magical puzzles and ducks galore the main character, Leo, must follow the instructions of the missing owner to save his home, his job and the entire hotel.

Very reminiscent of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Carman takes readers through possibly the most bizarre hotel in the history of the written word.

This would be a great read for anyone between the ages of 7 and 14. Fans of "A Series of Unfortunate Events," will greatly enjoy this book.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this one for my daughter because she loved the Land of Elyon series. But, between Goddess Girls and Percy Jackson she is busy at the moment, so I picked it up. I loved it! It was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, just as crazy, but more real at the same time. I loved all the wacky floors, loved the boxes, I even loved the ducks. Patrick Carman has become one of my favorite children's book authors. The worlds he creates are so interesting, exciting and beautiful. Now I really want to be able to stay at the Whippet.

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Quirky and fun, a good MG book.

Filled with ducks, a crazy hotel, and queer occupants, Leo and his friend will traverse the strange Whippet Hotel to find the clues left by the eccentric owner.

Think Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium meets Quantum Conundrum.

It was a okay book and I will be continuing the series though I'm not sure about re-reads.