The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales

Pals in Peril #2

by M.T. Anderson, Kurt Cyrus (Illustrations)

In need of a vacation after their last laser-beam-filled adventure, Lily, Jasper, and Katie have flown off for a restful stay at a distant mountain lodge, which just so happens to be hosting a gathering for characters from other middle-grade series novels. Two--the marvelous Manley Boys--look suspiciously like a pair of crime-solving brothers named Frank and Joe Hardy. Two others are a pair of boy-crazy twin sisters who attend a high school in some sweet valley somewhere. And then there are the Hooper Quints, who, along with a wealthy heiress's priceless diamond necklace, have suddenly gone missing.

Does it surprise you that the supposedly "on vacation" Katie, Jasper, and Lily are the only ones around who have the chops to solve this challenging mystery?

National Book Award finalist M. T. Anderson has done it again with this second volume of his riotous and wonderfully weird new series.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Juvenile, Fantasy

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Matthew Tobin Anderson (M. T. Anderson), (1968- ) is an author, primarily of picture books for children and novels for young adults. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His picture books include Handel Who Knew What He Liked; Strange Mr. Satie; The Serpent Came to Gloucester; and Me, All Alone, at the End of the World. He has written such young adult books as Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places, and Octavian Nothing. For middle grader readers, his novels include Whales on Stilts: M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales and its sequel, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to Whales on Stilts, focuses on Katie Mulligan star of the (imaginary) Horror Hollow series of books. Katie is tired of having to always have adventures - all she really wants is a nice summer vacation and she's determined to have one. Soon, Katie is off with Lily and Jasper to the Moose Tongue Lodge for some rest and relaxation and absolutely no mysteries or monsters! Unfortunately, almost as soon as they arrive, the Hooper Quintuplets (from another imaginary series which appears to be a cross between The Sound of Music and the Bobbsey Twins) are kidnapped. Lily and Jasper are all for helping to rescue the Quints and catch the kidnapper, but Katie is completely uninterested - all she wants to do is sit and read fashion magazines and hang out with the Cutesy Dell Twins (Sweet Valley High knock-offs). Adventure just won't leave Katie alone, though and when her friends are put in peril it's really only a matter of time until Katie joins the fray.

Just like Whales on Stilts, this is extremely silly, but there's also some very poignant moments this time. The resolution of the plot reveals that as long as a character's books are being read they are frozen in age. When Katie mentions to Lily that this means that they'll grow up and Jasper never will (he's clearly been the same age for decades already), the heartbreak happens when Katie realizes that she also is stuck in time and only Lily will get to continue to grow up - maybe have kids even - while Katie will always be the same as long as her books are read. I'm interested to see where Anderson takes this for the next volume of the series Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware.

[Tamarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

JF And
grades 4-8
The intrepid detectives from Whales on Stilts! (Harcourt, 2005) return in another off-the-wall send-up of the Stratemeyer-style series fiction. Jasper, Katie, and Lily are off to the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort for a short vacation. They discover that the inn is currently hosting a collection of other series characters, including the air-headed Cutesy Dell Twins (shades of Sweet Valley High); the blockheaded Manley Boys; and sad, one-book Eddie Wax, in perpetual mourning for his horse Stumpy. The mystery-solving Hooper Quints go missing, as do most of the lodge's hunting trophies and an heirloom diamond necklace belonging to one of the guests. Search parties are organized, and Jasper and Lily are keen to join in. Katie, however, prefers to hang out by the pool with the Twins. Unexpected dangers await the searchers, from gun-toting kidnappers to poisonous snakes to hungry wolves. Meanwhile, back at the Lodge….The episodic and determinedly nonlinear plot is amusing, but the real fun here is the dialogue–a wild and wonderful mélange of 1950s series-speak (Jupiter's moons!), Valley speak, adolescent trash talk, and mock heroics. As in Lemony Snicket's Unfortunate Events series (HarperCollins), the author frequently addresses readers directly with suggestions, hints, and comments. Underneath all the craziness, there is a subtle and surprisingly poignant message about growth, change, and friendship.

[Monster]

The main characters from a variety of fictional series books are all drawn into a mystery while on vacation at the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort. Katie Mulligan, the star of the Horror Hollow series, accompanies her friends Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, and Lily, on what she hopes will be a real vacation. Although it’s more of a send-up of series books than a horror story, readers of horror series books will howl with laughter all through the first chapter. Of course, there is no such thing as a series book without an adventure, but Katie tries hard to avoid it! Throughout the book, Katie’s resolute desire to ignore anything mysterious, horrifying, or supernatural is extremely entertaining. Jasper also gets his moment of horror- while gagged with duct tape and tied to a chair his allergies kick in, he rolls down a mountain over the edge of a cliff, and a poisonous snake makes ready to strike at his slightest movement. Anderson does a great job of poking fun at series books and genre fiction, and his writing is intelligent enough to also appeal to grown-up kids. A wonderful book to read to yourself or read aloud- if you can keep yourself from breaking down into tears of laughter. Grades 4- up. Contains: fake gore, kidnapping, mild violence. Entry by Francesca the Librarian

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was genuinely funny in places and silly or even a bit sad in others. It managed not to be offensive or rely on stereotypes (except in so far as it could make fun of said stereotypes). A weakness was that Lily and Katie were bland and Jasper thus came across as the main character (when it was meant to be about the three of them).

The humour in it is based on outrageous things (like using someone else's hotel room as a lobby for your own parasitic hotel room, or like a huge action scene that happens exclusively in the sinuses or my favourite part- an admission by the author that they are hopeless at writing actions scenes or counting and cuts to the end of the scene). Logic is optional but everything is plotted to come together, it is not so random that you stop reading. I love where the diamond necklace is hidden and how this bit of silliness is never explained. I was going to love the absence of romance in the book but then there was one at the end. It was hilarious enough to pass the Stef test and I'll allow it.

My very favourite thing was the dedication The author here speaks as someone who sort of knows that pain (the plot of the book tells the same story). In solidarity then, the odd but songful misfits all!
I'll see if my (grown up) kids want to read this one.

[Jessica Leatham · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story is part of a larger collection. The three young protagonists—Lily, Jasper, and Kate—want a vacation from their investigations, so they check into a resort where they are immediately met with a dozen other detective. Not long after everyone is gathered, a mystery presents itself in the form of missing quintuplets. While Lily and Jasper are eager to join the groups that assemble to find the missing people, Kate declines, determined to enjoy her vacation fully. As the story progresses, the three of them are separated, and through their individual experiences, they are able to collectively solve the mystery. I didn’t care for this story—it was so silly and ridiculous (dialog, characters, and plot) that it stopped being amusing after the first few pages. The characters were all very flat and incredibly predictable. There are many stories where some characters are put in solely for comic relief, yet it each of the characters in this story could have fit into that category. I think that a younger audience might enjoy this story as purely entertaining. I think that the audience’s sense of humor would grab a younger audience more than it would any older reader.

[Brigid Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back copy of "The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen" by M. T. Anderson has 100% no bearing on the actual content of the book... one of the little quirks that makes the series so much fun.

Wanting a bit of rest and relaxation after the action (and laser) filled events of "Whales on Stilts," Katie, Lilly, and Jasper Dash head off to a mountain lodge to redeem their coupon for a free brunch, only to find 1) a bunch of other children's book protagonists 2) a mystery and 3) that the coupon was fake. They settle in to solve the mystery (or float in the pool, whatever) and meet a cast of bizarre characters. The book's funny and engaging with lots of cliffhanger chapters and big words sprinkled through it for a bit of extra challenge.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the BOCD - same narrator as [Flame-Pits of Delaware|183278] but not as enjoyable. I didn't laugh nearly as much. Details that might have seemed funny because they were silly - such as snow in the summer - bugged me more this time. And the ending dragged on a bit much. I did laugh at the proposed series for Eddie - right up the paranormal teen fiction alley. And the part where Katie and Lily get all existential at the end was also amusing. But overall, it just wasn't as funny.

I didn't read or listen to this one with my kids, but I know all 3 of them did read it. I will find out how much they enjoyed it and how they think it compares to the others.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a goof-off. It was a fun read, v. Snicket and his imitators. Let me get this off my chest though. I'll be glad when narrators go back to leaving the fourth wall intact and cease with all the melodramatic pronouncements on their writing...it's time for a fresh approach. That aside, I did like the idea of how characters from children's books are brought into real life by their legions of fans, and I was touched by Eddie's being denied his own series.

[Matthew Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the most surreal children's book I've ever read. Three heroes of old (and mostly forgotten) children's books go on vacation only to discover that they have been tricked by the promise of fake free dinner coupons. There's also a missing diamond and a missing set of singing quintuplets. And possibly the best paragraph I've read all year.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty much cerebral metafiction, but sometimes you're in the mood for just that. As someone scarred by the discovery at the tender age of 8 that Carolyn Keene was not a real person but just a syndicate, i really got the humor in this book. And who could resist picking up something with a title like that??

[First Second Books]

Whales on Stilts has been one of my favorite funny reads for years, so I was delighted to recently discover that M. T. Anderson wrote more books in the series! A hilariously ridiculous and self-aware spoof of children's series fiction - in this case, particularly mysteries like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew - this book keeps me baffled and chuckling.

[orangerful · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so ridiculous and I love it (which is odd because I haven't been able to get into any of Anderson's YA books as much). This one is my favorite of the two because it pokes fun at all the classic kids series, like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, and more. Very silly.

[Brigid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this out loud with my son and it's so funny I'm having to stop to get a breath and stop crying. My son and husband are loving this one, too. It's a GREAT read-aloud book. We'll have to try another one of these soon, like Whales on Stilts.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in the series, the wacky fun continues, with semi-serious undertones of the struggles of growing up...or dealing with friends who don't want to.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one. The story was too fluid and not as wacky as the original. It made it so that when Anderson tried to throw in the wacky, it felt out of place.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harper and I took a road trip this weekend. A friend from high school, who I haven't seen in 20 years, stopped by the town we both grew up on his way to some where else. Harper and I went up to meet Don, visit some places I feel a sense of nostalgia for, a stay the night in a super shitty motel.

This was the book we listened to on our drive.

We'd read Whales on Stilts early this year. I'm a fan of MT Anderson, but wasn't impressed by Whales. It had moments, but didn't work great for me.

Coming from there, Linoleum Lederhosen was a pleasant surprise. The prose was better; more sparkle on a sentence level. And it was just more fun. I appreciated the metafictional qualities of it.

At this point, I'd say I'm excited to continue the series. I'd be even more excited to take another road trip with my daughter. We'd just stay in a better hotel this time.

[J. T. K. Tobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is equal parts comedy and confusion. Jumping into the middle of the series (not knowing there were more), has left me wondering what's going on. What are these characters on about? For the first few chapters(?), I had very little clue what was going on. But as the story progresses, you begin to get a feel for how things work in this new fictional world and it becomes rather enjoyable after that.

Everything that happens in the story, from the art, to the quirky way in which it is presented is entertaining. It's no Sugar Creek Gang - but it feels like a wacky modern equivalent.

I would also add, for Christian parents, there are some very subtle naturalistic views being teased out in the text. It's certainly not a God-glorifying work by any means, nor does it intend to be. But it also isn't as educational as it tries so hard to be.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is possibly the Pals in Peril book I feel the most nostalgia for. Our heroes, the Pals in Peril, go to this resort and meet all sorts of wacky characters, all based off of extruded book product kids novel heroes. This book showcases the rules of this world, such as how the famous book characters don’t age if people are reading their books. It is also a great mystery.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some funny, some not. Some why? But overall, hilarious. And the Jasper Dash view of the universe is just great. Lovely meta conversation with Katie and Lily at the end, too. Anderson does a great mix of in your face and vaguely subtle.

[Eme87 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grades 3-5

[Kat O · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea.

[Riza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me laugh, cry and cry again.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could have sworn my memory of checking this book out of the library in middle school had been a fever dream

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this ridiculous series. it's over the top hilarious and has us laughing the whole time.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen is a comedic mystery by M.T. Anderson, and the second book in the Pals in Peril series. This series tracks the adventures of an average girl, Lily Gefelty and her friends Jasper Dash (from the book series Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut), and Katie Mulligan, brave heroine of the Horror Hollow series. In this installment, Katie, Jasper, and Lily decide to go to to the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort for their summer vacation. When they get there they find that a few other book characters are staying in this scenic location, including the Cutesy Dell Twins, the Manley Boys, and Little Eddie Wax (rider of Stumpy in Stumpy Rides to Glory). The Hooper Quints (from such classics as The Hooper Quints on an Oil Derrick or The Danger Gang!) were going to join these other main characters, but were kidnapped. Along with this comes the mystery of the stuffed animal heads that keep disappearing from the hotel lobby and reappearing in the woods, as well as the theft of the priceless Mandrake necklace.

One reason I really enjoyed this book is the humor. Reading this book makes me laugh out loud from beginning to end. The narrator is very clever, and mixes different types of humor to come up with something that I found extremely entertaining Another thing I enjoyed was the mystery. It was a creative mystery with many complex layers. The solution was unexpected, yet not impossible to figure out before it was revealed. One critique I have of this novel is that in writing technique, it is not spectacular. There is little figurative language, and dialogue or narration can be a bit hard to follow. It is still definitely still worth reading.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short mysteries, or anyone who has read the first book.

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen is an interesting read for mystery lovers, and anyone who enjoys a good laugh. The eccentric characters and surprisingly complex storyline make this book a fun, light read in time for Halloween.

[Colleen]

I just don't have one good thing to say about this book. It was terrible! Who on earth was this written for? Yeah, I get what he was trying to do--poke fun at mystery series like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. But why would today's kids be interested in that? I think they would read expressions like "Good gravy!" and "Yowza!" and "That's the ticket!" and "Jeepers-to-crow!" and roll their eyes. Those expressions are dated and not funny. And kids will not get the references to the series. And speaking of funny (or NOT funny, as in this case), the author tries way too hard to be witty and glib. It comes across as very forced. Let's move on to plot. If there was one, I completely missed it. The story hops all over the place and makes no sense. The characters? I couldn't keep track of them and I didn't care. They did not engage me and I stopped trying to remember who was who. The only memorable character was Dr. Schmeltzer, a man who thought he was a bat. (He screams while trying to find his way around. He thinks it's echolocation. I couldn't hear the screaming but I was ready to scream just reading about his screaming.) And he was only memorable because he was creepy. The lengthy passages about Jasper's snot building up and threatening to suffocate him were just pandering to adults' belief that kids won't read a book unless it has descriptions of bodily fluids and functions in it. This book has been compared to the Lemony Snicket series which I also didn't care for so maybe this just isn't my kind of book. I fail to see why kids would like this though. I couldn't wait for it to be over; I only continued reading to see what a poorly written children's book was like. So I'm very disappointed that the children's publishing industry chose to publish this (and two more!). And I was surprised to learn that the author won a National Book Award for a previous children's book. Maybe I'm out of touch with what kids want to read these days.

[Ms. Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've wanted to read THE CLUE OF THE LINOLEUM LEDERHOSEN for a long time. It's been so long since I put it on my TBR list, that I can't remember the exact reason why I put it there. Possibly, I read a great review or received a recommendation from a student. Anyway, I was eager to delve into the story and looking forward to a funny, entertaining story.

Three friends, Lily, Jasper and Katie, travel to a ski lodge for a vacation. What's so unusual about the trio is that each stars in his or her own series of children's books. When they arrive at the resort lodge, they discover that other stars of children's book series are also guests there. When the Hooper Quints are kidnapped, a priceless necklace is stolen, and some of the lodge's mounted animal heads go missing, the friends determine to solve each of the mysteries.

THE CLUE OF THE LINOLEUM LEDERHOSEN missed meeting my expectations by a long shot. What I thought was an hilarious premise ended up just a stupid story. I honestly don't think young readers today would understand much less appreciate the references and homage to children's book series of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Even I, who at least could recognize the references, really didn't 'get' it. I just kept wishing for the end of the story to get there as fast as possible, so I could be done. This is one I won't be recommending, a 'D' grade from me.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bored with the same old ghoulish goings on in Horror Hollow, Katie and her friends Lily and Jasper take off for a summer vacation at the Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort. Jasper even has a coupon for a free dinner. But when they arrive they discover that 1) the coupon is fake, 2) every other kid with a series of books chronicling their adventures also got a fake coupon and has showed up. Jasper and Katie have been joined by the detective Manley Boys and the Cutesy Dell Twins, even the Hooper Quints are scheduled to arrive. But on the way to the hotel the quintuplets are kidnapped—all six of them! Then a diamond necklace is stolen! Who snatched the kids? Who boosted the jewels? And why are all the stuffed animal heads disappearing from the lobby?

I fear I am going to laugh myself sick binging on this series, but I can’t stop!

[Bcpl · Rating 2 out of 5]

M.T. Anderson tries to get his Lemony Snicket on, sort of. Not as successful, in my opinion. It's kind of a charming idea, this concept of a reality in which archetypical kidlit series types interact in a mystery/parody. And there is fun in there, but it oscillates between high concept and cheap, and is ultimately unsatisfying. Not terrible, but not in the same class as the more YAish M.T. Anderson. Seems more like a writing exercise than an enjoyable tale for kids, although there is an audience for the jokes. The literal illustrations of the ridiculous plot are pretty unnecessary, and in some ways detract, although I did enjoy some of the pulp magazineish elements included throughout.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Katie, Lily and Jasper are taking a break from their detective work, when they find that a mystery has followed them on vacation. They have to solve a kidnapping (five, actually), a stolen necklace, and disappearing stuffed animal heads. Along the way they get tied up, lied to, screamed at, and make new friends.

I found this book disjointed and hard to follow. The humor was great and I loved the spoof on the serial detective stories, but the story itself was a little too all-over-the-place for my frame of mind when I was reading it. I've heard so many great things about this author that I may have to try this one again at a later date, or at the very least try another of his stories.

The narrator's voice reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events.