Okay, this book is sooo cute. With the cute little pictures and the engaging plot, I absolutely LOVED it! ( )

When geeky middle school student, Charlie "Hitch" Hitchcock receives a note from Tyler "Ty" Yu, the school bully, he knows that he must face the music or be humiliated by his peers. Charlie goes to the address written on the dreaded note and finds himself face-to-face with Ty. But looks aren't always what they seem. You see, Ty lives in the mysterious Abracadabra Hotel, a kind of retirement home for magicians. It just so happens that one of the retired magicians, Mr. Madagascar, is missing. He simply disappeared into thin air one day. Poof! Now Ty desperately needs Charlie's help to find the AWOL magician. As the hotel manager's son, it's Ty's job to collect the rent money. If he doesn't collect the rent, he won't get paid. And if he doesn't get paid, he can't purchase the Tezuki Slamhammer 750, Edition 6, in cherry-pop lightening red.

But that's not all. The Abracadabra Hotel was been built by a famous magician many years ago. While there are surprises around every corner, things have been a bit more odd than usual around the old hotel. It seems there are strange disappearances, blackouts, and maybe even a ghost. Following a trail of missing objects, the bully and the geek secretly team up to find the missing magician and discover who or what has been stealing from the hotel. With the help of the mysterious elderly elevator operator, Brack, who has a knack for appearing (and disappearing) at appropriate times and Charlie's acute visual memory, this unlikely duo form something resembling a friendship and solve puzzles along the way.

The Bottom Line: "Hocus Pocus Hotel" is the first book of a clever and entertaining new series that is sure to please kids. It contains two mysteries, but each is solved separately so that readers will not get confused. Kids will love the insight into how magic tricks are done, and it teaches reasoning skills along the way. Additionally, there are plentiful color illustrations and diagrams to illustrate the magic tricks. This is a fun and fast paced book; even reluctant readers will want to give it a try. Highly recommended for kids in Grades 3 - 6. I can't wait to read the next installment, "The Return of Abracadabra." ( )

Title: Hocus Pocus Hotel
Author: Michael Dahl
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Ages: 9-12
Rating: 5

Review: An amazing adventure for middle-graders this book is imaginative, exciting and one of a kind. Michael Dahl weaves an awesome tale of mystery and magic as two boys become an unlikely duo to solve the strange happenings at the Abracadabra Hotel. Ty and Hitch are about as different as two boys can be but they form a united front as they search for the culprits behind disappearances, strange voices, and eerie ghosts.

This book was a delightfully, fun read and one that would be great for all middle-graders that love mysteries. ( )

The Hocus Pocus Hotel by Michael Dahl is a great book for young readers. The main character's name is Charlie Hitchcock. He has a photographic memory and a knack for solving mysteries. Tyler Yu is the school tough guy that everyone wants to steer clear of. Charlie is thrown for a loop when he receives a message from Tyler asking to meet him by Abracadabra. This hotel was built by a a great magician. Things start to go awry at the hotel and Tyler needs Charlie's help.
The Hocus Pocus Hotel contains two stories surrounding the Abracadabra. Charlie Hitchcock is a young Sherlock Holmes in the making. Together with Tyler, they are determined to solve the mysteries the hotel presents. This book is wonderfully written with fantastic illustrations. This book is perfect ages 8 and up. If your kids like mysteries, check this book out. ( )

A new favorite series that my kids and I are definitely going to follow! Hocus Pocus Hotel is the first book in a new magical-mystery series created by Michael Dahl for middle graders.

The Hocus Pocus Hotel is actually called The Abracadabra named after the famous magician that built it for magicians to have a place to live, practice and perform their acts. Tyler and his family live and run this hotel - but lately, they have been experiencing some odd disturbances and disappearances and Ty thinks that people are going to stop coming to stay at the hotel because they may think that it is haunted.
Charlie is a smart boy that tries to keep out of trouble. When he receives a note from Ty, he thinks that it is his invitation to finally get a beating of some sort from the school bully. Surprisingly, it was a mandatory invite to meet Ty at the hotel. Ty needs Charlie's smarts and photographic memory to help him figure out the mysterious things that have been happening throughout the hotel. And Charlie is the perfect kid for the job!

There are numerous mysterious to be solved! And with each one, we learn just how magicians do their magic. Charlie and his photographic memory doesn't miss a single clue and it is so much fun to see him unravel the magic tricks through illustrations that he draws to show us exactly how the trick is performed. The perfect read for any kid who loves a little mystery and finally getting to see how magic tricks are really performed! ( )