Curse of the Broomstaff (Janitors)

Ever have a hard time finding a book that will keep your child's attention? How about 3 great books that your child will devour? You should definitely read this series!

First off, I must share that my daughter says, "Magical creatures are awesome!"
She also loved that the kids in the stories have special tools--janitor tools that are magic, including glop. I think that sounds fantastic! She said it is a good book for kids because the janitors preserve education--evil creatures try to take it away! I love it when my kids can grasp a take-away from a book like that.

Last year, we purchased Janitors, Book 1 for my daughter's 4th grade teacher and she read it to the class. According to report, the kids begged the teacher to keep reading every day. They LOVED Janitors by Tyler Whitesides!

The latest book is here and the cover had my kids ogling over it for a good long time. Tyler Whitesides is a phenom children's author with a clean writing style that lends easily to a fantastical world full of heroic janitors who conquer evil. You'll never look at a mop in the same way!
I witnessed my daughter (5th grader now) read this book for an hour and a half straight. She took every opportunity to finish the captivating story.

My daughter is not a giant fan of reading, but she has taken quite an interest in these books! Great read!

Janitors has become one of my favorite Middle Grade series. As a teacher, I'm often asked by students and parents what books/series I recommend they read. Janitors is one that I highly recommend and often do.

There is so much to love about this third book. ( I also strongly advise you read the first two books in the series because it will make your read so much more enjoyable.) The main characters,sixth-graders Spencer and Daisy, have grown into their roles as true heroes and rebel fighters. They prove over and over again how much they have learned, and save the day quite often in this book. They are awesome using their magical weapons/tools: flying brooms, Glopified mops,and plungers. The action escalates in book three and is as messy as ever. (This is in reference to the world's greatest school cafeteria food fight!)

What is truly funny is the message from the author at the beginning of the book.

"Dear Reader,

Here it is: the third installment in the JANITORS series. And I must admit, this is definitely the trashiest book I've ever written. No, literally. This book is full of garbage.

This time, our young heroes must venture deep into an enchanted landfill. They will battle heaps of living garbage and hike through distorted trashscapes as they discover a mysterious group of kids living among the refuse, harboring a centuries-old secret that could save the future of education. As you can see, I take garbage very seriously."

It is so true! Poor Spencer who hates germs and getting dirty has his hands full. I loved all of the new characters and creatures that were introduced. Taylor really hiked up the intensity of the action and suspense. It was also a plus to see more interaction between Spencer and his father Alan. I think they both learned a lot in this adventure about themselves and each other.

As with the other books, the ending leaves you wanting more with Spencer's new title and mission. What is that title and new mission? I'm not saying anything, except that you need to read Janitors Book 3: Curse of the Broomstaff to find the answer. With engaging and bright characters, beefed-up energy and action, and written especially for elementary age kids, (Even though teens and Adults will love the books too!) the Janitors series needs to be put on your children's to-read list today.

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As I have stated so many times before, fantasies are not often my thing. This is the third book in the series, and I have not as yet read the first two. But this is definitely a stand-alone book, so don't let that keep you from enjoying this book. Even though this book is not my genre of preference, I can still recognize several things that lead to such a positive review from me.

First of all, there is no profanity and no inappropriate scenes. All "violence" is cartoonish and not scary. I find it ironic to call a book about garbage "clean." But indeed it is! I am quite sure this book would appeal to my daughter in a couple of years, and I can hope that she will make the time to read the series eventually.

Secondly, the story is imaginative and has redeeming qualities. Good triumphs over evil, and I can only hope that another book will be forthcoming. The fact that the setting is school-related makes the book even more intriguing--especially to the younger set.

So what were my complaints? I found the story rather tiresome at times, but the chapters were short. This made the dragging story much more bearable. Even though the book is able to be comprehended without the first two books, I would have liked a little more detail about why this ongoing war was occurring. I also struggled to become emotionally involved with the story and the characters, but that probably goes back to my disinterest in fantasy novels. In short, my complaints are few, and for all practical purposes, this is an ideal young adult fantasy.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

Awesome! This book is amazing if you like fantasy stories and janitorial spins. Read it very quickly and enjoyed every minute.

I was surprised at how fast my son read this book. He talked incessantly about it and finished it faster than the first two. I appreciate that underlying teaching of honesty.

We have loved reading this series to our children. I has entertained the kids and the adults alike. Curse of the Broomstaff carries the same excitement and enjoyment as the first two books. Great read!

My son got it for Christmas and has loved it so far! Super cute and easy to use. (he is 4).

This has been an enjoyable series for our 10 year-old son. Worth the purchase since the library waitlist is too long.

As I am currently reading this book it's a prefect time to review. So far I have felt that it lacks in really drawing me in. It's not a bad story but just not fully baked. Let me explain. You get home and your wife, or your mom (depending on how old you are) is making cookies. The smell is incredible and your taste buds are dancing. You can almost taste the sweet chocolate morsels in the aroma wafting throughout the house. You see the timer and find to your delight that 30 seconds separate you from the sweet bliss of your mothers homemade chocolate chip cookies. That last 10 seconds seem to take forever and you can't restrain your watering mouth from slipping a little drool from the upturned corner of your smiling lips. You start to day dream about your newly found love connection with the cookie you are so ready to consume when the timer goes off. You are jolted from your subconscious to find your your mother (or wife) pulling the oven door open to retrieve the cookies. She sees you about to make your move and says in all seriousness, "you can't have these. They are for our new neighbors." Your thrown into a void in reality knowing only that she stands between you and that cookie. In that absolute moment of grief you reach forward and grab a cookie anyways. You ignore completely the pain of burning your hand on the tray and inch the cookie quickly forward to your mouth. Ouch, that's hot you think as it hits your tongue. (but here is where the book stands, if you even remember that your reading a review) When you bite down and start to savoir your victory you find that it's not baked all the way. It's really raw in the middle. What happened? It's just not fully baked. It still tastes good, right - just like raw cookie dough does. It's just not quite done! That is how this book is for me. It has the opportunity to suck you in and does for a chapter or 2 and then it releases you. I like to fully experience a fully baked book. Get consumed or sucked into it. This is good, but does not satisfy.