Rate this book

The Danger Box (2010)

by Blue Balliett(Favorite Author)

3.53 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0439852099 (ISBN13: 9780439852098)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Scholastic Press

review 1: The Danger Box follows the adventures of a boy named Zoomy. He is legally blind and was left as a baby on the doorstep of his grandparents, who have raised him for the past twelve years. His real father is an alcoholic and didn’t even realize he had a son. Zoomy has a definite personality, and he understands the world best by making lists—for everything.When his father visits one night in a drunken episode, Zoomy is frightened and forced out of his comfort zone. Lots of things happen as a result of that visit. His dad, who had been driving a stolen truck, leaves the family a box and a blanket with a notebook wrapped inside.Spoilers follow.To make a long short, the notebook belonged to Charles Darwin (it’s the notebook that went missing in the 1980s). Zoomy is allowed... more to look at the notebook, and as he discovers who wrote it, he is thrilled to find that Darwin was often unsure of himself, sick, nervous, and a bad speller! It made Zoomy feel that he wasn’t so strange after all.Through the course of the adventure of figuring out who the notebook belongs to, Zoomy meets a girl, Lorrel, and the two of them publish a newsletter for the town with lesser-known facts about Darwin, and the town is invited to guess who they are writing about.There are many more twists and turns that happen in this book, but I won’t spoil those. I will explain the title, though: Zoomy has a box called the danger box, where he puts things that he finds dangerous, like used firecrackers. It comes into play during the course of the novel.I enjoyed how intricately many different mysteries were woven into one. I also enjoyed Zoomy’s character growth. Although this is a middle-grade novel, it had more depth than even some young adult novels I’ve read. I really liked Zoomy’s epiphany at the end: for most of the novel, he wants to stick to routines and do only what is predictable, but by the end, he realizes that the unexpected is both good and bad but is essential for adding depth to life.I recommend this book, and I look forward to reading this author’s other works.
review 2: I am almost done this book and had no idea that Charles Darwin was such a deep ad empathetic man. He was a family man who lvoed his children and was devastated by the loss of his 10 year old daughter. He also knew his theory of evolution would be contreversial and was a man of science. For as much as his theory is discussed and even sadly discounted, but then so is global warming and we can actually see that for ourselves; I had no idea how interesting and complex Mr. Darwin was personally till reading this book. I love the idea of the kids "Gas Gazette" and it took me some time to realize..................................******SPOILER************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** who they were describing. This may also be because I did not read any backround on the book was just handed it since my collegue and the school librian knows I have really enjoyed Blue Balliet's other books. Additionally, I can also see a nice tie in with core common standards and Science in middle schools or a nice G/T activity as well. The writing in this book is not as deep or philosphical as the other three books of hers I have read but it still will appeal mainly to 7/8th grade readers and younger high readiung level and interest readers! less

Download links for: The Danger Box

Advertising