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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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www.keirgraff.com

THE MATCHSTICK CASTLE

Keir Graff

A wild and whimsical adventure story: This funny, fantastical story will resonate with any reader who’s ever wished a little adventure would find them.
Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.

Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge, wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seemingly stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the madcap, eccentric family that lives inside, it’s not just a home—it’s a castle.

Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.

Keir Graff's middle-grade debut, The Other Felix, was named "Best of the Best" by the Chicago Public Library. School Library Journal wrote: “The story has a beautifully crafted innocence reminiscent of The Little Prince . . . The ending is exquisite.” By day, he is the executive editor of Booklist in Chicago.
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Book

Published 2017-01-10 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Book

Published 2017-01-10 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Comments

Booklist interviews Graff about his inspiration for the book in their “Books by Booklist Authors” feature.

A whimsical adventure with a large dose of humor? Yes, please! This story spoke to my inner child, who suffered too many boring summer vacations and longed to discover something magical and exciting in my own backyard.

A towering tale filled with astonishing action, amazing characters, and two very daring adventurers.

The Chicago Tribune (10.09 million uvpm) mentions the book in a “Chicago Mystery Writers Share Tips (and Tricks) for Writing for Young Readers” round-up.

Dutch: Uitgeverij Unieboek

[A] Willy Wonka-esque romp…think The Royal Tenenbaums for the middle-grade set.

This quirky novel is reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie for the tweenage set. …For those who enjoy a bit of absurdist humor with their realism.

Nerdy Book Club (31,827 uvpm) features Graff’s “Top 10 Homes in Middle Grade Fiction.” Read more...

A zippy, adventurous romp in the woods complete with fierce animals and buried treasure.

Graff (The Other Felix) fashions another fascinating character in the Matchstick Castle itself through detailed descriptions of its peculiar layout and secrets.

Far from boring…Graff neatly contains his wacky plot within narrator Brian's Everykid voice, unspooling the looniness with transparent glee. Fast-paced, anarchic fun for reluctant and avid readers alike.