Member Reviews

"Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom" by Laurie Calkhoven is a whimsical children's adventure that explores themes of bravery, friendship, and facing fears. With a rating of 3 out of 5, this story follows Roosevelt Banks as he navigates the challenges of moving into the attic after his bedroom is given up for his new sister.

The narrative begins with Roosevelt's reluctance to embrace his new living situation due to the eerie noises and spooky atmosphere of the attic. Convinced that the attic must be haunted, Roosevelt sets out on a series of misadventures with his friends Tommy, Josh, and Eddie Spaghetti to uncover the truth and transform the Attic of Doom into a more welcoming space.

Calkhoven's storytelling captures the imaginative world of childhood fears and friendships, blending humor with moments of suspense as Roosevelt confronts the "ghosts" and challenges lurking in his new attic abode. The camaraderie between Roosevelt and his friends adds warmth to the story, highlighting their collective efforts to overcome obstacles and turn fear into courage.

While the book offers a lighthearted and entertaining read for young readers, some may find the storyline predictable or clichéd, particularly in its treatment of familiar themes such as haunted spaces and facing fears. Additionally, the resolution of Roosevelt's attic dilemma may unfold in a straightforward manner, which could impact readers seeking more complex narratives or deeper character development.

Overall, "Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom" is a charming tale that encourages children to confront their fears and embrace change with resilience and friendship. It's a recommended choice for parents and educators looking to engage young readers in stories about courage and the power of teamwork in overcoming challenges.

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The story revolves around Roosevelt Banks, a curious and imaginative boy, who discovers a hidden attic full of mysteries and secrets in his new home. With the help of his friends, Roosevelt embarks on a thrilling journey to uncover the truth behind the attic's enigmatic contents.

Calkhoven's writing is engaging and immersive, blending humor, suspense, and relatable characters to create a captivating narrative. From the quirky personalities of Roosevelt's friends to the spine-tingling twists and turns of the plot, every chapter is filled with excitement and discovery. As Roosevelt and his friends unravel the mysteries of the attic, they learn valuable lessons about friendship, bravery, and the power of teamwork. "Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom" is a charming and entertaining read that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

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I didn't fully love this book. I found the writing overly simplified. Ultimately, though, it's fine. I can appreciate that Roosevelt is the cause of most of his problems but he also finds his on solutions. He doesn't rely on the wisdom of adults to get him out of trouble. And there's some decent messaging about thinking before you act.

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This was a quick and fun read that I enjoyed! It followed young Roosevelt Banks who believed that there were ghosts in their attic. We see Roosevelt and his friends venture as they try to banish the ghosts. Overall this was very humourous and a great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

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This book is a delight, we enjoyed it enormously. Just scary enough to produce giggles but not too scary for a bedtime story.

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Summer is here and things are quickly derailed for Roosevelt when his parents tell him he’s going to be a big brother (again) and the summer will be spent renovating their spooky, haunted attic to make room for the new baby.

The book is a lighthearted middle-grade paranormal adventure. There are a handful of illustrations, some of which are super cute and simple.
Roosevelt is a good little narrator with a good sense of humor (telling his mum he thought she was fat when she told him she was pregnant).
I also felt Roosevelt was going through so much and you really feel for him.

His relationship with his family and friends was lovely to read. Roosevelt and his friends are certainly a funny bunch. His parents are very patriotic, naming their children and dog after US Presidents which I think it a cool little quirk.

"Teachers were tricky that way, always trying to sneak some learning in..."

To sum up, Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom is a light and humorous Middle Grade fiction. Kids who like ghosts, mischief, bunnies, and silly adventures will enjoy the book.

Thankyou for my ARC from NetGalley, Red Chair Press, and One Elm Books.

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Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom by Laurie Calkhoven.
With a new sister on the way, Roosevelt Banks has to give up his bedroom and move into the attic, which must be haunted because of all the squeaks and groans coming from the spooky place at the top of the stairs. After his plan to move into a fort in the woods fails, and a ghost-busting exercise goes terribly wrong, Roosevelt—with the help of Tommy, Josh, and Eddie Spaghetti—has to find the courage to defeat the biggest, spookiest ghouls ever and turn the Attic of Doom into a Room with a View.
A good read. Likeable story and characters. I did like the cover. 4*.

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I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The illustrations are wonderfully done. This is a fast paced children's book. Would I read this book to my niece when she is older most definitely. This book will be in stores on February 1, 2022 for $15.99 (USD).

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Thank you NetGalley and Red Chair Press for providing me a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

This book was so much fun! I completely felt for Roosevelt and dealing with the issues that he has had to go through. Such a great book and I would recommend it to a friend.

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It is a very light and entertaining novel. the characters are very well constructed and the children will feel identified

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Review to come in 2-3 weeks on my book blog and then later on Amazon/Goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Haha, this turned out to be something different than I had expected from the blurb + cover! I had expected real ghosts and real ghost-busting moves, instead it is just about a boy who is deadly afraid of the attic in which he will have to live soon. And instead of his parents taking his fears for real and talk about it, they just shrug it off and thus causes the boy to be even more panicked. In the end I did like what I got and that was summer, friendship, revenge, and family.

In this one we meet with a president obsessed family, well, mostly the dad it seems. Our MC is a boy named Roosevelt. Yes, really. He is a small boy with great friends, but when he thinks about the summer he thinks it is going to be the SUMMER OF DAD. Instead, due to pregnancy (which had me laughing as he thought his mom was just becoming fat) there is renovations to be held so that the baby can move into Roosevelt's room. Roosevelt in the meantime will be moved... to the attic. The attic which he absolutely HATES. Throughout the book we read why and we see his plans. From just sleeping outside to a big fat plan that had me shaking my head. Don't do it Roosevelt!! Don't!

I loved seeing Roosevelt with his friends, they were quite the group and their friendship was just great!

There are also cute little baby bunnies that had me aww-ing each time we saw them. Yes, I would definitely be like Roosevelt's sister. Hug them 24/7 if possible.

I wasn't a fan of the twins and I was amazed that none of the adults had an idea what was going on. Thankfully, there is a nice part with revenge coming up and I was cackling in delight. These boys deserved it and I hope they will stop with their crap.

I also liked the art! It was quite nicely done.

All in all, despite not getting entirely what I wanted, I was happy with this book and I flew through it while waiting for my booster shot and then the 15 minute wait after that.

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I really enjoyed reading Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom. I loved the ghost hunting and mini adventures that Roosevelt takes on. Most of the characters are very relatable and I enjoyed the sisterly and brotherly bond grow throughout the story between Roosevelt and his sister. It is the perfect book for a child with a great imagination, who is eager to take on their own adventures. It is also a great book for a child who is about to become an older sibling. Overall, a great read which I would give five stars.

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This was really funny. I loved the whole ghost angle and I loved that the twins got just what they deserved. I thought the sister was really cute. The main character was so funny and sweet. He was easy to relate to and you really empathized with him. Nice artwork. I hope there are more coming soon.

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I received a copy of this children’s book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a quick and fun children story. Great for both boys and girls, mostly for younger audience though. I am a bit sad that there wasn’t any real ghosts lurking around but the friendships and family ties were adorable! 🙂

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Absolutely adorable! I enjoyed this read. I have to say Tommy is my favorite. It was an easy read that I know upper elementary and middle grades would enjoy. Will definitely be recommending to fellow teachers. It was descriptive and well written and spoke from the fifth grade perspective in a manner which made you truly go back in time. This book excited the under fifth grader in me.

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Roosevelt Banks is ready for The Summer of Dad! He's going to spend his summer break adventuring with Dad. Or so he thought... It's starting to seem more like the summer of....ghosts?

Roosevelt has a new baby sister on the way who is taking over his room for her nursery. Now Roosevelt is exiled to the attic. The HAUNTED attic, mind you. Fabulous.

Will Roosevelt be taken away by ghosts, or can he and his friends force them out of the house?

This was such an adorable read that kids will love - especially those newer older siblings!

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4.2 Stars

Roosevelt plans his summer to spend a great time with his dad. However, it seems impossible with a new baby on the way, and most importantly, the shifting of Roosevelt’s room to the attic. Everyone knows the attic has ghosts. The kid is terrified, of course. His friends offer a shoulder to lean on, but what else can they do?
As Roosevelt tries to prove the existence of ghosts to his parents, he has to find a way to be rid of the ghosts as well. He also has to feed the bunnies and take his four-year-old sister to play with the bunnies thrice a day. The twin bullies are another headache to deal with. Will Roosevelt’s summer be how he wants? What new adventures does the boy face?
The book is a lighthearted middle-grade paranormal adventure with babies in abundance. There are a handful of illustrations, some of which are super cute. I loved the ones with Kennedy (Roosevelt’s sister).
The writing is cute and funny. Roosevelt is a nice little narrator with a good sense of humor. He and his friends have some cool adventures too! His relationship with his family and friends was lovely to read. Kennedy is a star. That girl adds so much sparkle (literally) to the book.
I do plan to pick the first book someday and hopefully read the next ones whenever they are available.
To sum up, Roosevelt Banks and the Attic of Doom is a light and humorous MG fiction. Kids who like ghosts, mischief, bunnies, and silly adventures will enjoy the book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, Red Chair Press, and One Elm Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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This is a children’s middle grade fiction book. There’s humor, friendships, family drama, new baby/big brother issues, and ghosts.

Roosevelt is a 10 year old boy who is excited about his summer with his dad. That is until he finds out he is going to be a big brother again and now has to move into the attic.

Roosevelt has strong feelings about not moving into the attic with all it’s ghosts. He try’s to convince his parents that it would be a bad idea. When that doesn’t work he enlists his friends to help him figure out a way.

His friends are not always so nice. There are dares and threats of being called a chicken. This is a pretty realistic story that children will likely relate to.

This would be a great one for boys since there is a group of boys and the main character is a boy! If you have a elementary/middle grade child then this might be something for them. A great read for the holiday season or if your child is going to be a big brother/sister.

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With a new sister on the way, Roosevelt Banks has to give up his bedroom and move into the attic, which must be haunted because of all the squeaks and groans coming from the spooky place at the top of the stairs.

After his plan to move into a fort in the woods fails, and a ghost-busting exercise goes terribly wrong, Roosevelt--with the help of Tommy, Josh, and Eddie Spaghetti--has to find the courage to defeat the biggest, spookiest ghouls ever and turn the Attic of Doom into a Room with a View.

This was such a lighthearted and fun read and was a great way to get into the spooky, Halloween spirit.

Calkhoven’s characters were interesting and at times hilarious and it was a real trip down memory lane when life was a lot less complicated and all you had to worry about were looking uncool in front of the popular kids and those pesky ghouls in the attic.

A solid middle-grade spookfest.

#bookreviewsbymrsc #rooseveltbanksandtheatticofdoom #lauriecalkhoven

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Ten-year-old Roosevelt Banks can't wait for summer. Mom will be working, his little sister will be at day care, and it will be a SUMMER OF DAD. Unfortunately, his father already has plans -- remodeling THE ATTIC OF DOOM into Roosevelt's new bedroom. Can Roosevelt convince them this is a bad idea? Or will he be forced to move in with the ghosts that want to take over his body?

I just could not put down this book! I loved watching Roosevelt trying to find solutions to his ghost problem. I found the characters very relatable and enjoyable.

My only real comment is that I would have loved to have seen Roosevelt's story as it's own chapter, with the narrative stuff tacked onto the end of the previous one. I also wanted to know what happened to his story. Did his parents ever read it? Did he end up using it to apply to the program at the library? If so, did he end up participating?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading others in this series. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

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