http://www.examiner.com/x-591-Childrens-Book-Examiner

20 best books of 2008 for middle school readers

December 24, 3:23 PM
by Diane Petryk Bloom, Children's Book Examiner

#5 The Seems – The Split Second by John Hulme and Michael Wexler (Bloomsbury USA, $17) Again, this is a sequel. But jump right in: Anything can happen in a Split Second. Becker Drane’s still got the coolest job in The World, but it’s getting harder and harder to live a normal life outside of The Seems. He’s definitely feeling the strain of being a teenager (complete with mood swings and a newfound respect for sarcasm) and he can’t stop thinking about Jennifer Kaley, the totally cool girl he met during his Mission in Sleep. Things don’t get any easier when a bomb explodes in the Department of Time and Becker is called in to pick up the pieces after a more senior Fixer couldn’t disarm the device. It’s his toughest mission yet, and Becker finds himself going places in The Seems he never knew existed, and meeting people long thought dead. Yep, it’s just another day in the life of Becker Drane. Let’s hope he lives to Fix again.

Hulme and Wexler previously wrote The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep. As the story goes, they accidentally stumbled upon the existence of The Seems after opening an unlocked Door in Wilmington, North Carolina, during the summer of 1995. From that moment on, they were obsessed with the curious realm they had discovered.

One reviewer said The Seems is ingenious, wildly inventive, laugh out loud funny, touching and poignant at times. …For you parents out there (and I am one): There are a number of important themes running through the book - the Seemsians, especially our protagonist Becker Drane, have strong ethics, remain true to their goals and doing the right thing, and they understand and buy into doing your part for society and following the rules that accompany life.

He also recommends no one pay attention to the age recommendation. The book is for everyone! A big thumbs up from Peter Glassman here.

The Split Second.
“This book expands upon the premise of The Glitch in Sleep, in which a mirror world called the Seems constructs and maintains the machinery that governs our own, with a massive bureaucracy charged with everything from keeping the Seconds rolling along smoothly to painting properly glorious sunsets and delivering Little Unplanned Changes of Kismet (L.U.C.K.). When a rebel organization plants a Time Bomb that threatens to destroy the inner workings of our universe, Becker Drane, the talented, teenage “Fixer,” finds himself in desperate need of help to set things right. With increasingly severe time storms wreaking havoc worldwide, it looks like only the elusive Time Being herself has the power to help; can Becker track her down and persuade her to lend a hand? Yes, as it turns out, and no. This sequel continues to develop a truly ingenious setting while proving every bit as much of a nail-biter as the first. Becker and his allies come through in the end, but the close brings signs of impending disaster on an even vaster scale. Stay tuned.” --Booklist

Please join John and Michael at the book signing party Thursday, October 2nd from 5:00-9:00pm at Over the Moon Toys in Highland Park.
Spread the word, see you on the 2nd!!

"Reading The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep, I didn't sleep! I literally stayed up all night flipping the pages reading as fast as I could. I liked it...I REALLY liked it. " —Cory, 12, Warren, NJ

“The Glitch in Sleep is exciting and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The entire idea of The Seems really fascinates me.” — Terrapin, 12, Albuquerque, NM

“I wanna be a fixer!” –Ben, 10, Belmont, MA

“I’m gonna tell all my friends about The Seems, well, maybe just the cool ones.” –Zeke, 12, San Francisco, CA