Milo Speck, Accidental Agent

June 1, 2015
“Scrawny” Milo Speck gets even scrawnier after he goes searching for a missing sock in the dryer and is yanked into a world of giant ogres who, as in Jack and the Beanstalk, aren’t averse to grinding the bones of humans who come their way. When Milo discovers that his father may be in Ogregon, too, he tries to find his bearings in this dangerous world and attempt a rescue. The story’s fantasy elements are a departure for Urban (The Center of Everything), but readers who are familiar with her books will recognize her characteristic attentiveness to characters’ emotional lives; Milo’s disequilibration in Ogregon only intensifies as he has to rethink everything he believes about his family (including his mother’s disappearance a year earlier). As the progressing plot incorporates secret agents, giant turkeys, household appliances, and song-and-dance numbers, the story begins to take on a kitchen-sink feeling, but its clever humor and daring rescues will keep readers glued to Milo’s adventures and hoping for future ones. Ages 9–12. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

July 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Milo Speck has read about magical adventures, and now he finds himself quite unexpectedly in one after a search for a missing sock in the dryer transports him to a land of ogres with a penchant for eating humans. There are many surprises and revelations in store for Milo in Ogregon, including the truth about his father's "fencing" job. He comes to believe that his father is also in Ogregon, and sets out to find him so they can escape together. Along the way he meets Tuck, a girl about his age with a prickly personality, and together they must survive long enough to stop a plot to develop dryers that will pull even more human children through to Ogregon to become ogre-food. Humor and action abound in this fast-paced adventure with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers interested. The ogres' sheer size makes up for their often hilarious ineptitude, and Milo is an engaging, relatable character who finds hidden depths when tested, whether it's riding a giant turkey or convincing the stubborn Tuck to help him. The tale wraps up satisfactorily but with the possibility for future adventures with the Tuckerman Agency. VERDICT An entertaining choice that will appeal to fans of Roald Dahl and Eva Ibbotson.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
When a boy is magically transported to Ogregon, a world of gigantic but mostly small-brained ogres, he must figure out not only how to escape before being eaten, but also how to rescue a group of captives and plug the hole between worlds. In the course of Urban's thickly plotted, humorous novel, aimed squarely at middle school boys, protagonist Milo Speck grows physically, mentally, and emotionally as he faces challenge after challenge: amusing a gigantic baby by doing the chicken dance, escaping from said baby's even more gigantic mother in a repairman's pouch that contains, yes, a stinky rotting sandwich, and finally (gasp!) confronting the evil whazzit. In doing so, Milo, a mechanically minded boy, draws on skills and talents he didn't know he had, makes friends with Tuck, a bossy girl who turns out to be his father's boss, and becomes a Tuckerman Agent. The plot doesn't always make complete sense, but it's a fizzy ride, and readers who like a combination of silly comedy and fairy-tale fantasy should enjoy it. Despite the action-heavy emphasis, Milo is a well-detailed character with a strong moral code, making him easy to root for. Imaginative, kooky, but too devoid of reality to be fully engaging, this story is likely to score with its demographic but will not find converts outside it. (Adventure. 8-12)

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July 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 The mundane task of sorting laundry leads to an unexpected adventure for Milo Speck. His family's dryer is a portal between this world and Ogregon. He is unceremoniously yanked, via sock, into a world where a dastardly plot is under way to capture (and eat!) human children. As Milo tries to find a way home, he joins forces with the head of a secret agency dedicated to preserving the equilibrium between all worlds (Ogregon is just the tip of the iceberg), learning unexpected truths and a thing or two about bravery along the way. Taking inspiration from Roald Dahl and Edward Eager, Urban spins a tale both comical and surreal. The danger to Milo and the other children he meets is real without seeming imminent, so sensitive readers need not fear. Milo's resourcefulness and ability to differentiate between what works in books and what works in real life make him a winning hero. Though the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, a sequel is not beyond the realm of possibility.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2015
You can't beat the premise. Milo is sucked into a clothes dryer and transported to another world, inhabited by a race of giant ogres. Its name? Ogregon. The ogres are hapless but grumpy and like to snack on human children. Survival and escape are Milo's goals, but up go the stakes when he discovers he's not alone. Other children have been captured. Even Milo's own father turns up. Milo finds his inner hero in a hectic and hilarious series of revelations (his father is not in fact a door-to-door fence salesman, but a secret agent), chase scenes (some involving a pair of oversized turkeys named Lochinvar and Gilgamesh), and near-death experiences. Urban gives nods to Roald Dahl, Edward Eager, and Norton Juster, but her material is unique: for example, Milo finally saves the day using dryer lint as an offensive weapon. The action is punctuated with excellent jokes. What is a comforting mantra for an ogre? Keep calm and carrion. sarah ellis

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)