The premise behind Floors by Patrick Carman is that Merganzer Whippet has been missing for over 100 days. His hotel, the Whippet Hotel, would be falling into disarray if not for the maintenance man and his son, Leo, who assists with repairs and walking the ducks, whom Merganzer has a special affinity for. When a mysterious box shows up for Leo, he is charged with solving the puzzle, exploring the unseen floors of the hotel and saving The Whippet.
Floors
Floors by Patrick Carman is a delightful and magical story about friendship, loyalty, and the value of a good duck. Ultimately, I loved it. It brought me back to the days I read Roald Dahl religiously and puzzled over The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Although Floors is similar in feel to those books, it is never derivative, but rather feels like an homage.
Leo, protagonist of Floors is a fantastic character. He is hard working. He is smart. He’s loyal and kind. Yet, he’s also lonely, which I think many children can relate to. I thought it was wonderful to see Leo navigate the waters of friendship, while also working through some of his issues. I mean, it’s nice to read a book about a good kid.
If you are on the prowl for a book that will take your imagination on flights of fancy, with a few eccentricities, starring an eccentric cast of characters including a headstrong duck named Betty, Floors by Patrick Carman is the book for you, or the child in your life.
Disclosure: Amazon Vine review copy.
Other reviews of Floors by Patrick Carman:
Lesa’s Book Critiques
SciFi Chick
Book Nut
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April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1074 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Even a mere shout out to the memory of Roald Dahl is enough for me. Magical whimsy, here I come!
Yay! Hope you love Floors!
I agree – this book was so much fun to read and felt a lot like Roald Dahl book. Loved every page!
For sure, it definitely brings me back.
You had me at ducks! I lurv ducks. All’s they do is eat and sleep and they’re still pissed off all the time. Def be checking this one out–especially if it’s reminiscent of Dahl!
Ducks are way awesome, hahahaha.
For sure, it reminded me of Dahl.
Definitely written by someone who loved Roald Dahl and The Westing Game. I’ll take a well-written homage any day!
I do love homages as well, and Floors is VERY well written and engaging.
I like the premise I think i will check it out, happy reading.
Hope you enjoy it Sonja!
I remember LOVING The Westing Game as a kid (I still have a copy of it on my shelf somewhere), but for the life of me, I don’t remember a single thing that happened in that book. Look like it’s about time for a reread…
The Westing Game is AWESOME.
Basically this old guy dies but leaves behind some clues for his fortune and there’s teams and a girl named Turtle Wexler. Basically, awesome things happen.
AND now I have purchased it! Anything that has ties to Roald Dahl and The Westing Game is something that I must read!
Thanks for this! I cannot wait to dive in!
YAY! I hope you absolutely fall in love with Floors and Merganzer and Leo and Betty and Remi.