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Children of all ages will adore Ellen, a girl with curly brown hair, two protruding front teeth, and an imagination that runs wild as she contemplates all the potential of her parents’ run-down hotel. This book actually made me laugh out loud as Ellen explains what she sees before her, only to follow it up with a “Well, actually...” and a description of the true situation.
The first tall tale is found in the book’s title, Ellens’s 11 Star Spectacular Super Deluxe Hotel, which we immediately learn is actually a modest Nevada hotel owned by Ellen’s parents. Ellen’s description of the plush accommodations - including a large and luxurious pool, high-end jungle gym, and ice machine - engulfed by the hotel’s famous guests and piles of children is immediately contrasted with the reality of a tiny pool with few visitors and no children in sight. Similarly, as Ellen tosses the “Astro Sludge Jelly and Lard Pies” she purchased in a vending machine through an old tire, she brazenly boasts that she is feeding exotic foods to her glamorous Siberian lizard.
The descriptions of individual events and the way Ellen transforms them in her mind make this book a charming must-read. The story gets even better when this contrast is woven into the subplot of a hotel guest who discovers that her jewels have been stolen (they were not), and it is up to a world-renowned detective (Ellen) to interrogate famous movies stars (a handyman and the maid) to recover the treasures.
Ellens’s 11 Star Spectacular Super Deluxe Hotel is a sweet, entertaining story about the power of a child’s imagination to transform ordinary day-to-day occurrences into an extraordinary adventure. This book is a true gem and a wonderful addition to any child’s library.
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Lori West/2006 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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Ellen's 11-Star Spectacular Super-Deluxe Hotel