The Sixty-Eight Rooms

Malone, Marianne. The Sixty-Eight Rooms. New York : Random House, 2010.

Plot: Ruthie thinks her life is stable, small, crowded, and boring. Jack, her best friend, seems to live in a completely opposite way. Both of them are unprepared for the mystery Jack unlocks with a brilliant key discovered behind the famous Thorne Rooms in the Art Instituted of Chicago. As soon as she touches the key, Ruthie shrinks to fit the well-crafted miniature rooms. With Jack's help, they eventually explore the world outside the rooms, leading them to pre-Revolutionary France, medieval Europe, and colonial America. As they explore they discover they are not the first to enter the miniature worlds with the strange key. Nor are they the only ones seeking answers to the mystery.

Genre: Fantasy, History

Reading Level: Grades 4 - 7

Similar Titles: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Arthur and the Minimoys, 39 Clues

Personal Thoughts: The book's plot is the opposite of Night at the Museum's. Instead of the museum coming to life, two visitors enter the historical world of the displays. The change offers a refreshing view of the "back to the past" plot while meshing better with the modern world. However, Ruthie does act atypically mature for a tween. Also, she and Jack manage to avoid punishment for some genuinely bad behavior. Still, the story takes full advantage of the adventure offered by Chicago's miniature display.

Apparently, Malcone produced a sequel, Stealing Magic: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure, in 2012.