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The Stranger in Medallion Loafers: Adventures of Allen and Juan

Allen and Juan are teenagers, next-door neighbors, and best friends. They seem to be where danger and intrigue abound. This adventure opens with a suspicious stranger spreading a putty-like substance in the high school boiler room. When he leaves, the boys take a sample of the clay to see if it as they suspect, C-4 plastic explosive. The boys become targets of the terrorist who does not like to leave witnesses behind. He really dislikes anyone foiling one of his plots. Trying to be helpful, the boys are soon in trouble also with local law enforcement and the FBI. I read this book called The Stranger in Medallion Loafers by Austin B. Tucker. I really liked it because it was a good action book and very adventurous. The characters were good and I liked the Miracle Camp, which was an awesome place. There were some pretty cool fighting parts. --Joshua, age 12 This was a fun book to read. ... I liked the part when the two drunk guys woke up with guns in their faces. I think it is a good book for ages ten through fourteen. --Caleb, age 13. "I liked that it was intense enough but not scary. I liked how it started off with the bomb instead of taking a couple of chapters to get to the action. I like how it got the message about God out without people losing interest." --Bradley, age 16 "A truly adventurous story for all young adults to enjoy." --Erin, age 18

140 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2016

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Austin B. Tucker

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Penny Marks.
386 reviews14 followers
May 2, 2016
What a great Christian young adult adventure, mystery book. It is filled with suspense and intrigue. This book reminds me of The Hardy Boys adventures. Great characters and well written. Love the friendship that Allen and Juan have with each other and their families.
They are typical teenage boys out having fun when they see a suspicious man carrying a basketball but wearing loafers into the gym? Curiosity gets the best of them and they follow. They find him as well as the school custodian in the boiler room not speaking English. They see the loafer man place a gray putty on top of the boiler with what looks like a pen sticking out of it. Once the coast is clear Juan goes and gets a sample of it to take as evidence. They are freaked out considering they only understood BOOM from the men! Why in the world would anyone want to blow up a school boiler room? They went directly home to see if their theory was true and it is C4. They found out very quickly that it was after they blew up a tomato can! YIKES!!! They ran in the house to tell their parents who called the police. Deputy Newton showed up and interviewed the boys and called in the FBI. The boys were told not to play arm chair detectives but they continue and find out it wasn't the best idea. They get into huge trouble and could have put everyone they care about in danger.
Deputy Newton steps in to help the boys by sending them to Miracle Camp. This is a great camp where you are not only able to be a kid but you are able to build a closer bond to God. They have quiet time when they are able to connect with God through scripture. This really helps the boys to realize that God is always with them no matter what! After camp they are able to go back home but with tight security because Mr A is still out there and who knows what he will do now that his plan has been foiled???
I recieved this book from the BookClub Network for an honest review
Profile Image for Julie Barrett.
9,361 reviews216 followers
April 27, 2016
The Stranger in Medallion Loafers: Adventures of Allen and Juan by Austin B. Tucker
Book sounded interesting: mystery. Two boys who live next door to one another are spending a summer day on school grounds when they notice a man with a basketball head into the school building. Things just don't add up for them and they follow him.
They find him talking to the custodian and the only English word they hear is kaboom-meaning a bomb. They are able to get out of there with some of the evidence and bring it home to experiment themselves.
By the end of the night they've told their parents and local cops. Next day the FBI is on the case as the boys continue to watch the school building from a tree. They find more clues and call the FBI who tell the boys to stay away. Next day they see the custodian in his van heading down a private road and follow him on their bikes.
They get arrested and only way out for them is to go to church camp where a sheriff is always watching them. Their lives and their families are in danger-they don't realize how much til they have to go to a safe house...
Very detailed descriptions and fast paced action along with quotes from psalms and scriptures. Like this kind of book as it makes the boys use their heads to think while having some guidance from God.
There are many benefits to having a dad in the military as they learn all about flying aircraft. Love the details on checking the plane out first. When one is kidnapped they are beside themselves.
interesting how the boys are able to use the latest technology to track the phone via cell towers to find their location, even before the police can even think of it. With all the action taking place this would make an excellent movie and be a top seller!
I received this book from The Book Club Network (bookfun.org) in exchange for my honest review
Profile Image for Deana Dick.
3,221 reviews137 followers
May 4, 2016
This book was such a pleasure to read. It reminds of a great detective book where the boys are sleuths and always get themselves into more trouble than they bargain for. The bond between Allen and Juan is very well written and keeps the reader invested in the story as they take a journey that is filled with mystery, friendship and so much more.

Have you ever been so curious about something, that you couldn't help yourself ? You just had to know what was going on and plowed ahead into the unknown. That is exactly what Allen and Juan do. They start following a man who is carrying a basketball around the school. What is this man up to? Is he out to do harm to the school? The boys are hot on his trail as their adrenaline kicks in. They feel an urgency that danger is coming and they must stop it before someone gets hurt.

The author does a great job of keeping the readers adrenaline going with an action packed race against evil. The story has twists and turns and has a great message of hope, finding a deeper relationship with God and an understanding that God never leaves us. He is always there to help us and I enjoyed how the author weaved this message into the story. The characters are well developed and keeps the story interesting . I hope there are more books from this author so I can enjoy the writing style of an amazing author. This is a great young adult book but anyone would enjoy reading this adventure that keeps you guessing.

I received a copy of this copy from The BookClub Network for an honest review.
Profile Image for Pam Graber.
1,166 reviews43 followers
April 27, 2016
Put together two observant teens and a man in a track suit wearing loafers instead of gym shoes and you just might have a foiled terrorist plot. When Allen and Juan see a man they don’t know walk by the school’s outdoor basketball court carrying a basketball but wearing the wrong shoes to play, their inquisitive natures go into overdrive. When he disappears into the school, they follow, just to check him out and witness the man and the custodian placing gray putty atop the school’s boiler. As they check out their suspicions, they are drawn into a plot to blow up – not only the school – but national dignitaries attending a ceremony to be held there. As the only witnesses, the boys and their families become targets. Can the FBI keep them safe or will their curiosity get them all killed?
These boys are crazy-smart and WAY too curious for their own good! Geared to tween-age boys, this story is an adventure any one of them could place themselves in as they read. While Allen and Juan would qualify as “science geeks” they are also athletic enough to capture the attention of those readers who love sports.
I would definitely recommend this book, especially to pre-teen or early teenage boys. I think the adventure would even appeal to the non-readers out there.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Joan.
4,547 reviews138 followers
May 28, 2016
I liked this adventure of teens Allen and Juan. They are next door neighbors and best friends.
Their adventures begin when they see a suspicious person spreading a putty-like substance in the high school boiler room. They are quickly in the midst of an FBI investigation that involves danger and requires courage.

This is a good adventure for teen boys, especially ones who like flying. Juan's dad is a military pilot and the boys get personal flying lessons from him. The boys get into dangerous adventures, even after being told by authorities to stay out of the investigation. When they happen upon something suspicious, they just have to follow the suspect. Sometimes they interfere with the police and get in trouble but sometimes they find information the police have missed.

Christian faith is well presented in this story. The boys attend a Christian camp and the gospel is given. The boys have a close friendship and show great loyalty to each other. It was good to see how they relied on God when in danger.

This is a good novel for young teen boys who love adventure and are curious. They'll get a little dose of science and larger doses of adventure and faith.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
Profile Image for Becky Canfield.
141 reviews15 followers
April 25, 2016
Very intriguing story!

Allen and Juan are good friends who live next door to each other. One day while they are hanging out, the notice a stranger, carrying a basketball and wearing very nice dress shoes with a medallion on them, walk into the school. They start to follow him and once the authorities get notified; Allen and Juan are told to stay away and let the authorities do their job. Later, Allen's sister, Esther, gets kidnapped from the local church. Will Allen and Juan listen to the authorities? Will Esther get found in time? Will anyone find out what the stranger was doing in the school?

This was a short mystery that kept me guessing until the very end, This was the first book that I have read by this author, but will definitely be looking for more. I got a free copy of this book from book fun in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Becky Lewis.
1,137 reviews69 followers
June 6, 2016
Wandering Mystery...

This is an adventure story for kids. Allen and his neighbor, Juan, witness a bomb being planted in their school boiler room. They must alert someone. Sounds like a great premise for a book.

However, I was disappointed in the level of writing. Many times the author, who mainly writes in past tense, will suddenly insert a sentence in present tense. This leaves a feeling of confusion. The author seems to meander from one topic he wants to include to another, with the storyline getting bogged down(ex: chapter about learning how to fly a plane--what does all that detail really have to do with the mystery?)

This review is only my opinion, and others may find this book a favorite. I gratefully received an ebook from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews