(Watch Out For) Thirteen O'Clock

"What an amazing theme park," Dad exclaimed. "Let's go home."

And so, ironically, begins the greatest family adventure of a lifetime!

Ten-year-old Ben has arrived at that dreadful moment in life where one wonders whether having a childlike imagination is, well... just too childish. In fact, it wasn't long ago that he loved going to theme parks. Honestly, he really... did.

But now: 1) Ben's favorite park has magically imprisoned him, 2) the attractions within it have become, shall we say, "alive," 3) their characters have put him on trial for a ridiculous yet perplexing shortcoming, 4) an alien vacuum cleaner intends to bulldoze Earth into a planetary theme park, and 5) if Ben, his sister, and his irritating cousin don't escape by the time the menacing clock tower strikes thirteen, they are doomed to become pieces of the park themselves.

(Watch Out For) Thirteen O'Clock is a joyride of adventure, wordplay, and comedy meant for all ages but targeting the middle-grade reader. Set inside the many "lands" of the world-famous Spooky Times theme park, this rollicking odyssey features characters like the bumbling secret Agent Whoops, the decidedly unhelpful Annoying Seagull, the barbaric Flying Vikings (who love bashing in heads only a little less than singing a catchy chart-topper), the Wishy-Washy Witches (all of whom are sort of evil but not really...it just depends), the superhero Wormest (whose superpowers last only as long as nobody informs him he has them), and Prosto: the Automated-Vacuum-Cleaner-But-Aspiring-Intergalactic-Conqueror!

Between the action and humor is a heartwarming story about what family means, whether growing up to "be cool" demands leaving your childlike imagination behind, and why you should never let seven proboscis monkeys represent you in a trial before the alligator queen. (Don't scoff. Ben found it quite made sense at the time.)