This is a pretty inventive story, if a bit more magic focused than I generally preferred. I liked the blend of worlds and all the ground work for the eventual resolution is present. THe messages of acceptance are a bit heavy handed but not unbearably so.

This book left me asking the following questions....Is there a prequel to this book? Am I jumping in on Book #2? Does the publisher plan to distinguish fantasy from reality with different fonts when the ARC is published? Marketll's first work CLICK HERE TO START is among the most highly circulated titles in our Middle School Library. I'm left wondering if perhaps students who actually play these games might "get it" in a way that I do not. I'll definitely purchase a copy, but I'll need to let my Middle Schooler's explain the book to me.

I enjoyed the author's book Click Here to Start and helped get it on the Maine Student Book Award list so I knew I was in for a nerdy treat with this one.
In this book RBG and his friends play a Dungeons and Dragons type game called Reign of Dragons. But they have seemed to be growing apart with middle school and new interests, especially when their game master leaves for graduate school. While they all agree to share the role of game master it just isn't the same. RBG tries desperately to get his friends to finish their quest but it isn't until he receives a mysterious gold die that things get weird. While playing with the die...their characters suddenly appear in real life.
Honestly, this happens about 1/2 way through the book and that is when it really starts to get good. I thoroughly enjoyed the action after that - the characters, their interactions, the adventure. I hope readers will stick with the book long enough to get there because for gaming students this will be a treat.

An adventurous and imaginative tale, this fast-paced book will appeal to both boys and girls. The humorous voice and character interactions perfectly mimic the intended audience, thus keeping readers engaged. The title will certainly appeal to reluctant readers due to its content.

I received my copy from @Netgalley in return from my honest review!

“ What if your favorite fantasy game characters showed up on your doorstep IRL?

Sixth graders Ralph, Jojo, Noel, Persephone, and Cammi are hooked on fantasy tabletop role-playing games. When they somehow manage to summon their characters to Ralph's house, things take a truly magical turn!”


The Game Masters of Garden Place is a super quick, fun, enjoyable read! Its great for your Middle grade readers. I think all of us have imagined what it would be like if our favorite games/Characters came to life. What would we do?!

It was a tad slow in the beginning but I’m glad I didn’t stop! I loved it! The book is for D&D lovers. I’ve never played it, but I think I will give it a try sometime!

Our overall review of the book is a solid 3/5 stars. Great characters, story line is cute and super fun for your kids!

Definitely give it a read!

4.5 stars. A terrific fantasy-meets-reality story with a lot of great characters. I enjoyed the whole premise of this. In addition to the role playing game pieces, this is also a story about friendship, growing up, and embracing who you are. Probably the first third or so deals with establishing the characters before the big event of the story - the game characters coming to our world - happens. It's important groundwork for the rest of the story, so stick with it if you start to wonder when that event is going to happen. Highly recommend.

I think this book had a lot of fun and good moments in it, however it did take it a minute to get me into the story. I liked how the characters interacted with each other and the story really picked up once the game characters came into play. I think this is a good book for kids who are interested in getting into the fantasy genre as well for D&D lovers.

A fun read. I enjoyed the development of the characters and their relationship with each other. I recommend this read to anyone that enjoys fantasy books.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

It took me a while to get into this one. Once the story got rolling and the game characters showed up in real like it got interesting. I have never played role playing games so I have limited interest or understanding of them. I think someone who is an RPG person will have some strong thoughts about the authenticity of the story line one way or the other.

This is a book for fans of Dungeons & Dragons and the fantasy genre. When I first started the book, I really wasn't sure about it. Not being a fan of D&D the constant switch into D&D stories made me consider not finishing it. I'm really glad that I didn't put it down as the second half of the book definitely got better. The characters are all fully developed and I especially liked the fact that the story considered how friendships often change as kids hit middle school.

Ralph and his friends Jojo, Persphone, Cammi, and Noel have been playing Reign of Dragons, a Role Playing Game (RPG) since they were ten, with Ralph's babysitter, Declan as the game masters. The had lots of good campaigns, but as they get into middle school, interest starts to wane. Jojo is heavily into gymnastics, and her practices and meets make the Saturday gaming sessions difficult. Persephone and Cammi (who is exploring his identity) are interested in theater and costuming. Noel is more interested in some of the current video games that classmates are playing. Only Ralph remains really excited about RoD, and he is the only one playing on going to the RoD Con when it comes to NYC. When Declan decides to go back to school, the group tries to rotate who is in charge of the game, but each one puts their own spin on the action, which doesn't make everyone happy. Ralph thinks it odd when he wins dice by registering for the Con, and when he uses them to start the last game the group has scheduled, the alter egos of all the participants come to life! All five characters show up and are surprised that the children know all of the details of the quest. Ralph is still determined to finish the campaign and find all of the serpents that the script calls for, but now he must do it while keeping his friends invested in the game and keeping the characters from eviscerating innocent bystanders. Will the children be able to finish their campaign, get their alter egos safely back to their own world, and solve a mystery involving the founder of RoD?
Strengths: Dungeons and Dragons seems to be having a major resurgence-- there was an article on it in the Columbus Dispatch, and I noticed that my public library is offering a course on it this summer. Not only that, but Picky Reader is in a group at college. She's an elf. So, this is a timely book. What I liked best, though, was the depiction of the friendships. Losing friends to different pursuits is such a common middle school experience, and it's just not in as many books as it should be. Centering the book on Ralph, who is steadfast to his fandom, and showing how the other friends are branching off was a great way to go. The parents were handled well-- they are around, cognizant of their children's movements, but willing to give them enough independence to get into a little trouble. There is a lot of humor, enough action to keep things interesting, and a bit of a twist at the end. A great sophomore middle grade novel from the author of Click Here to Start.
Weaknesses: Since I am not a fan of playing games of any manner or description, I found the scenarios a bit slow. This will NOT be the case for gamers, who will eat up the details.
What I really think: This is very similar to Wizards of the Game (2003) by David Lubar, but it is certainly time for another book like this! Definitely purchasing. Who knows? It might introduce a reader to a lifelong pastime! John David Anderson's The Dungeoneers is the only other D&D type book that I can think of. Anyone else remember Tom Hanks in Mazes and Monsters (1982)?

Ralph and his friends have been playing Reign of Dragons for years. As they get older, some of them are finding interests outside of the role playing game. Just as they are about to disband, the characters come to exist in our world. Ralph and his friends take the warrior, bard, cleric, and others to the gaming convention in town. There, they find the solution to how to get back to their own world, as well as a twelve foot monster they need to defeat.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I loved Game Masters even more than I loved "Click Here to Start"! While I've never played DnD, it didn't keep me from understanding and enjoying the plot. In fact, it sparked my interest in RPGs! While Game Masters is composed mostly of adventure and humor, there is a barely detectable dash of important social commentary for our young readers. I cannot wait to place this next to "Click Here to Start" in my classroom library.

I thought the concept of this book was really good (who wouldn't want their favorite characters coming to life?!), but I feel it fell short for me. I know a little bit about RPGs and you don't need to know much about them to understand this book, but it wasn't believable enough for me. I realize it is fantasy, but the mashup of real-life vs. game seemed off to me. I could see kids reading this and then getting interested in RPGs, which would be great!

The Game Masters of Garden Place by Denis Markell is a hip cross between Bill and Ted’s and Stand by Me.


After meeting in kindergarten, five friends have entered a tough time in their lives. Middle school has hit them with a bevy of new interests, and their Saturday afternoon fantasy role-playing sessions are in jeopardy of becoming a thing of the past.


Ralph Ginzberg and his friends have been playing Reign of Dragons for a couple years, and, like all players, they have made their characters as extensions of their own personalities, the people they could never be in real life.


The first part of the book tracks the start of the characters’ foray into role-playing and the ins and outs of their friendships. They learn to roll the 20d and see the advantages of teamwork in the first parts of their quest. But the campaign stalls after getting to the last trial, and just when Ralph’s friends threaten to quit, there is a sharp and engaging twist in the plot.


Markell’s writing is adept at juggling what turns out to be ten characters at a time. It can be tough to get the rhythm and tenor of tween speak, yet he does an admirable job. Also to note, the ‘fish out of water’ aspects of the plot are inventive with strong social commentary of our times.


The Game Masters of Garden Place is a quick and fun read for the middle-school set. The inside jokes and nostalgia of D&D would encourage any parent to read along with his or her child; the exciting and fulfilling ending is good for all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Mr. Markell for an advanced copy for review.