Janitors by Tyler Whitesides

The magical, secretive society of JANITORS will sweep the country in the fall of 2011. Have you ever fallen asleep during math class? Are you easily distracted while listening to your English teacher? Do you find yourself completely uninterested in geography? Well, it may not be your fault. The janitors at Welcher Elementary know a secret, and it s draining all the smarts out of the kids. Twelve year- old Spencer Zumbro, with the help of his classmate Daisy Gullible Gates, must fight with and against a secret, janitorial society that wields wizard-like powers. Who can Spencer and Daisy trust and how will they protect their school and possibly the world? Janitors is book 1 in a new children s fantasy series by debut novelist Tyler Whitesides. You ll never look at a mop the same way again.


First line:
"Spencer shifted the papers on his school desk and looked for a hundredth time at the graffiti in the corner."


I read Tyler's book to my kids at bedtime. Every night they were adamant we read it even at 11 PM (which I nixed)!
They loved the characters, cleaning weapons and Toxites. My son wants to take it to school so his teacher can read it to the class. That's a huge compliment!

I loved the clean, fast-paced writing. Lots of twists and play on words. With the tagline: 'you'll never look at a mop the same way again' Tyler is not kidding!
The story kept us hooked from beginning to surprise ending.

Not very happy with the cliffhangers, Mr. Whitesides! Did not see that one coming. My kids even gasped when I read it!
Keep up the good work, Tyler! We are anxiously awaiting the second book. Even though I'm still mad at you for the cliffhanger...

Rating: G
V: Intense fighting moments, a friend disappears & presumed dead
L: No
S: Gross! No!

5 STARS

25% test (p. 70):
""And he drew on my face," Daisy said. "But it washed off."
Another bout of silence hit the truck like a black hole.
"Could someone please explain why I'm a chameleon?" Spencer finally muttered.
"A chameleon," Mr. Gates said as he turned into Hillside Estates, "is a type of lizard that changes color. Might be green one moment and black the next. It changes to fit the environment around it, sometimes to blend in, sometimes to stand out."
"But what does that have to do with me?" Spencer pointed out Aunt Avril's house and the big Ford rolled into the driveway.
"You don't get it?" Daisy asked, a faint smirk on her face. "In our family, a chameleon is someone whose story changes. They might tell it one way, then totally twist it around and tell a different version. People do it when they're insecure. Sometimes to blend in, sometimes to stand out."
Spencer wasn't pleased about being called a color-changing lizard. He had a comeback worked up, but he let it die on his lips. Just wait. The soap was in Daisy's drawer. Soon she'd see that he wasn't a chameleon.
Thanks for the ride, Mr. Gates," Spencer said, slipping off the edge of the seat. he checked his pocket for the flashlight and the latex glove. With both items secure, he walked to the back of the truck, but Mr. Gates had beaten him there. With a smile, Daisy's dad lifted out the boy's bike."