Scan barcode
kowalskichan's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This book made me much more emotional than I thought it would. I picked it up because of the eye-catching cover graphic, and found it to probably be just a quick, fun read. And now, I'm here, crying over Mac and Vince's friendship. It's oddly reminiscent of Adam and Gansey's friendship from The Raven Cycle, and I have to say that Rylander discusses classism and money problems children face in a fantastic, subtle, and easy-for-kids-to-understand way.
fishgirl182's review against another edition
4.0
The Fourth Stall is a hilarious play on The Godfather set in an elementary school. The Godfather in question is Mac, short for MacGuyver because he’s the guy that can get you anything. And the fourth stall is and empty bathroom stall where he conducts his business. The empire is run by a small sixth grader and his best friend who loan out their services helping solve the problems of their fellow classmates for a small fee. Their business is threatened when the mysterious kingpin, Staples, starts a gambling ring at their school. Using tough high school kids and bully tactics, Staples plans on taking Mac and his friends down. Loyalties are tested when Mac finds out that there’s a mole in his organization. Can Mac hold the business together and flush out the rat at the same time or is this the end of his career? And will the Cubs make it to the World series this year?
Each person in Mac’s crew had a distinct personality and I loved reading the bios of the various school bullies. I am partial to Kitten, the small and polite sociopath, who is ruthless and more than a little scary. I definitely don’t want to get on his bad side. And it was cool to see Mac band the bullies together in order to deal with Staples. I had some mixed feelings the violence in this book. On one hand, it was pretty graphic (especially for the middle grade reader that I think this book is aimed at) but on the other hand, I think there had to be real consequences to their actions in order to make the story work. And though Mac ends up using strong arm tactics to aid his own cause, he doesn't feel good about it. While the book doesn't glorify violence in the schoolyard, it doesn't shy away from it either.
What drew me in though was the friendship between Mac and his best friend Vince. Their easy rapport and camaraderie seemed genuine. They were a bit like an old married couple and I was really worried when their friendship was threatened. Ultimately this is a story about friendship and family. And though I am not a sports fan, I found their dedication and obsession with The Cubs to be funny and endearing. It almost made to me want to watch a baseball game. ;)
Each person in Mac’s crew had a distinct personality and I loved reading the bios of the various school bullies. I am partial to Kitten, the small and polite sociopath, who is ruthless and more than a little scary. I definitely don’t want to get on his bad side. And it was cool to see Mac band the bullies together in order to deal with Staples. I had some mixed feelings the violence in this book. On one hand, it was pretty graphic (especially for the middle grade reader that I think this book is aimed at) but on the other hand, I think there had to be real consequences to their actions in order to make the story work. And though Mac ends up using strong arm tactics to aid his own cause, he doesn't feel good about it. While the book doesn't glorify violence in the schoolyard, it doesn't shy away from it either.
What drew me in though was the friendship between Mac and his best friend Vince. Their easy rapport and camaraderie seemed genuine. They were a bit like an old married couple and I was really worried when their friendship was threatened. Ultimately this is a story about friendship and family. And though I am not a sports fan, I found their dedication and obsession with The Cubs to be funny and endearing. It almost made to me want to watch a baseball game. ;)
brandypainter's review against another edition
2.0
Originally posted here.
When Noir meets The Godfather in the bathroom of a grade school you get The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. It is an interesting concept and there are many amusing parts to the book. I think that it is quite possible that much of it will go over the heads of its intended audience though. However, I can also see how this might appeal to a certain boy reader who is into super heroes, crime shows, and action moves and video games. (So, most boys really).
Mac is the narrator of this story and he is a sympathetic one. He and Vince started a business to help the kids in their school. It is an underground business and they have "hired muscle" and clandestine arrangements with the janitorial staff, but they are not doing anything illegal. Although they certainly have the minds to go there someday and they are more than a little vigilante in their methods. Batman wannabes without the altruistic motives, because they are in need of a cash flow. Then they run afoul of the high school gambling syndicate and their business, friendship, and way of life is all threatened.
What I Liked: Mac has several struggles with his conscience that are very real and he learns a lot about being a loyal friend. I liked how Mac and Vince dealt with the struggles in their friendship and how they resolved their issues with each other. And that both of them seemed to learn from it.
What Concerned Me: Mac blurs the lines between right and wrong quite a bit and his narration gives tips on how to be a better liar and avoid adult detection. There is also a lot of violence. There are several fights and kids are being bullied and the adults are oblivious to all of it. There were many scenes that had me thinking this is a book I would want to be familiar enough with to discuss with my son if he were reading it.
The inside cover says the book is for ages 8-12 but honestly I think 10-13 might be a better demographic.
When Noir meets The Godfather in the bathroom of a grade school you get The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. It is an interesting concept and there are many amusing parts to the book. I think that it is quite possible that much of it will go over the heads of its intended audience though. However, I can also see how this might appeal to a certain boy reader who is into super heroes, crime shows, and action moves and video games. (So, most boys really).
Mac is the narrator of this story and he is a sympathetic one. He and Vince started a business to help the kids in their school. It is an underground business and they have "hired muscle" and clandestine arrangements with the janitorial staff, but they are not doing anything illegal. Although they certainly have the minds to go there someday and they are more than a little vigilante in their methods. Batman wannabes without the altruistic motives, because they are in need of a cash flow. Then they run afoul of the high school gambling syndicate and their business, friendship, and way of life is all threatened.
What I Liked: Mac has several struggles with his conscience that are very real and he learns a lot about being a loyal friend. I liked how Mac and Vince dealt with the struggles in their friendship and how they resolved their issues with each other. And that both of them seemed to learn from it.
What Concerned Me: Mac blurs the lines between right and wrong quite a bit and his narration gives tips on how to be a better liar and avoid adult detection. There is also a lot of violence. There are several fights and kids are being bullied and the adults are oblivious to all of it. There were many scenes that had me thinking this is a book I would want to be familiar enough with to discuss with my son if he were reading it.
The inside cover says the book is for ages 8-12 but honestly I think 10-13 might be a better demographic.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I was hoping for more toilet humor.
Unusual for me, it's true.
But with a title like "The Fourth Stall" and a roll of toilet paper on the cover? I thought this would be a slamdunk for middle school boys.
But no, it's a disappointingly clean read. It plods a bit, and I agree with my Goodreads colleagues who say that it majorly pales in comparison to the awesome [b:The Big Splash|3694496|The Big Splash|Jack D. Ferraiolo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266834607s/3694496.jpg|3737983].
And here are some specific complaints:
1. Mac seems to ricochet between crazy-saavy and unbelievably nieve. At one point, he's talking about his Uncle Bruce: "I heard my parents say something about him falling off a wagon. I think maybe he hit his head pretty hard when he fell off that wagon and is now brain damaged or something" (pg. 147). I think a kid this smart would get alcohol.
2. Later in the book, a character explains his fishy actions by saying that he sold his dad's bike. After the whole explanation, our narrator explains that the bike has a massive amount of sentimental value. If the narrator had explained the weight of the item as soon as it was mentioned, instead of waiting until after the whole angsty conversation had occurred, we would understand the implications of the choice earlier and feel the angst more.
I had a few more marked, but in hindsight, I'm not sure they're worth calling out on the interwebs. Suffice it to say, I found the writing annoying at times, and it's not as strong as it sells, but it's adequate for an upper elementary or very gentle middle school boy mystery.
Eh.
Unusual for me, it's true.
But with a title like "The Fourth Stall" and a roll of toilet paper on the cover? I thought this would be a slamdunk for middle school boys.
But no, it's a disappointingly clean read. It plods a bit, and I agree with my Goodreads colleagues who say that it majorly pales in comparison to the awesome [b:The Big Splash|3694496|The Big Splash|Jack D. Ferraiolo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266834607s/3694496.jpg|3737983].
And here are some specific complaints:
1. Mac seems to ricochet between crazy-saavy and unbelievably nieve. At one point, he's talking about his Uncle Bruce: "I heard my parents say something about him falling off a wagon. I think maybe he hit his head pretty hard when he fell off that wagon and is now brain damaged or something" (pg. 147). I think a kid this smart would get alcohol.
2. Later in the book, a character explains his fishy actions by saying that he sold his dad's bike. After the whole explanation, our narrator explains that the bike has a massive amount of sentimental value. If the narrator had explained the weight of the item as soon as it was mentioned, instead of waiting until after the whole angsty conversation had occurred, we would understand the implications of the choice earlier and feel the angst more.
I had a few more marked, but in hindsight, I'm not sure they're worth calling out on the interwebs. Suffice it to say, I found the writing annoying at times, and it's not as strong as it sells, but it's adequate for an upper elementary or very gentle middle school boy mystery.
Eh.
beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
So I personally would have given this book three stars, but I added the extra one because I think my girl-bias might have skewed my impression of the story a bit. This is definitely a book written for boys. And you know what? I'm perfectly OK with that. I need to find more books for my classroom that appeal to boys and this one fits the bill.
I love how tongue-and-cheek the whole story is with being a spoof of The Godfather, all the way down to the cover art. Though I think adults will get more of a kick out of this than the kids since I'm assuming most 11 and 12 year-old boys haven't seen The Godfather (Truth be told, neither have I, but I'm old enough to know a great deal of facets of the story since it's so much a part of American pop culture). Still, reading this book made me consider for the first time my need to actually watch this movie. I've never had any desire up until now to see The Godfather, but now I feel like some really hilarious scenes in this book probably went right over my head since I've never seen the movie.
The writing in this book was really simple, but I'm sure that was by design. Rylander was clearly targeting boys for this story, and middle-grade boys like clean, no-nonsense writing. As I was reading all I could think was, "Why didn't he describe this character more?" or "Can't you describe the setting in more detail?" but the more I read the book, the more I realized the sparse descriptions were all a part of the boy-appeal.
I love how tongue-and-cheek the whole story is with being a spoof of The Godfather, all the way down to the cover art. Though I think adults will get more of a kick out of this than the kids since I'm assuming most 11 and 12 year-old boys haven't seen The Godfather (Truth be told, neither have I, but I'm old enough to know a great deal of facets of the story since it's so much a part of American pop culture). Still, reading this book made me consider for the first time my need to actually watch this movie. I've never had any desire up until now to see The Godfather, but now I feel like some really hilarious scenes in this book probably went right over my head since I've never seen the movie.
The writing in this book was really simple, but I'm sure that was by design. Rylander was clearly targeting boys for this story, and middle-grade boys like clean, no-nonsense writing. As I was reading all I could think was, "Why didn't he describe this character more?" or "Can't you describe the setting in more detail?" but the more I read the book, the more I realized the sparse descriptions were all a part of the boy-appeal.
heather4994's review against another edition
5.0
Chris Rylander knows how to write funny. I think humor is probably one of the hardest things to write, maybe because I'm not all that funny, but Chris Rylander must be, because I was laughing all the way through The Fourth Stall, even when I was trying not to. Even my very hard to please kids (12 and 15) laughed at the lines I read out loud to them. And when I told them how Mac and Vince got their "office" in the bathroom in the fourth stall under the high window (I know it's a mouth full, but in a bathroom, isn't next to the window important?), they snickered a little. It had to do with a bottle of superglue, a toilet seat and the principal's extremely regular visits to that particular stall, but it's not exactly what you might think. There was a whole lot of glue involved and Mac and Vince had nothing to do with it. Anyway, you know I enjoy my middle grade fiction, but this one, was better than most of the YA I've been reading!
I was so tired of reading about angels and saw that The Fourth Stall II (the boys and I got a kick out of why they didn't call it number two, I do live with all boys, even the dogs I have to laugh at bathroom humor), was coming out in just a few days and I hadn't read it yet. So I figured I'd better read the first one. I could hardly put it down last night. I even picked it up before my morning coffee so I could finish the last few pages of it, it's that good.
As you can probably tell from the front of the book, Mac named for MacGuyver because he gets things done and Vince run a business somewhat like the Godfather. My husband noticed the resemblance. He doesn't read much and tunes out on book discussions. But if it's the Godfather he perks up. "Hey, that looks kind of like the Godfather," he says after I've been reading all day. "Yes, honey, because these two sixth graders have a business kind of like that, they get things done for kids and if the kids can't pay, they owe favors." "Wow that's a great idea for a kids book." "Yes, that's probably what the author thought when he wrote it." "So what happens?" "I don't know. As you can see, I'm still reading." "Oh, I'll let you finish. Tell me tomorrow. Anybody named Sonny?" "No!" So , yes Mac and Vince run a business during morning and afternoon recess and lunch in this very far away bathroom that no one uses. Mac has a desk and people come to him with their problems and he solves them. Vince keeps the books. And they have muscle at the door, Joe the biggest kid in the school who only lets one person in at a time and keeps the crowd low so it doesn't look suspicious . Mac and Vince are the biggest Cubs fans in history and they are saving to go to a World Series game. And this year looks like it could be their year. This was another fact my husband was interested in because he told me the Cubs were the worst team"in the history of the free world." When he tacks that phrase on, I know they must be pretty bad. Anyway, I figured, this is fiction so why couldn't the Cubs go to the World Series. I was keeping an open mind about the whole thing as I'm sure Cubs fans do every year!
Things are running smoothly until their worst problem in years comes in, a pint sized third grader who has been placing bets with the fabled Staples. Until that day, no one even knew that Staples was even real, he was just a rumor. Staples is sending The Collector after the third grader, Fred, and he's afraid of what The Collector might do to him. As Mac and Vince make plans to take down Staples who has infiltrated their school and therefore their business, they find they have a spy in their midst, a thief, they have to meet and work with the schools nine biggest bullies (reading about Kitten alone is worth the price of the books) and their World Series funds begin to dwindle. What ensues is a systematic take down of Mac and Vince's business and friendship and a backfiring and double cross of all the plans Mac makes to take Staples down. And as is always the case, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry and Mac has to step back and get his priorities straight before he loses everything.
The ending couldn't be more perfect and I wish I could tell you about it. But I don't want to spoil it. It is absolutely fabulous and not something I would have imagined in a million years but can picture with such clarity and I'm still laughing! The mental image is hilarious except for Kitten, I might have nightmares of him. There is a set up for the next book, kind of like the old detective movies something along a sixth graders version of, "I knew the dame was trouble the moment she walked in." And I'm getting ready to dive into The Fourth Stall (number two) Part II. (Barnes and Noble will never accept this review with that in there. I'll have to write a whole different review, but maybe that's for the best.) But it's my blog, and I can write my review, here, how I want it!
As I wrote in the beginning, the book is peppered with humor from Vince's crazy Grandma's sayings to the boys trying to trip each other up on Cubs trivia. Rylander's writing style is easy for any middle grader to read, though some of the subtle meanings may be harder for younger (8-9) readers to pick up on. It just depends on the reader. None of the situations are inappropriate for anyone in the MG age group. I loved the friendship that Mac and Vince had. They had been best friends since Kindergarten or even before, when Mac moved in to the trailer park where Vince lived. Vince is quirky, but Mac gets him and loves him, really, they love each other. They don't say it, but you know they do and they aren't afraid even to cry in front of each other. That's a true testament to a boy's friendship with another boy. And I loved that Rylander showed that even in 6th grade, it was okay to cry, because when you get the snot beat out of you, you might feel like crying. And during an emotional time, like when your Dad dies, you might also feel like crying, and your best bud says, hey it's okay and he doesn't think any less of you. That's what I hope kids will take away from this book when they read it. Kudos to Chris Rylander for and outstanding novel!!
Enjoy the rest of the day!
Heather
I was so tired of reading about angels and saw that The Fourth Stall II (the boys and I got a kick out of why they didn't call it number two, I do live with all boys, even the dogs I have to laugh at bathroom humor), was coming out in just a few days and I hadn't read it yet. So I figured I'd better read the first one. I could hardly put it down last night. I even picked it up before my morning coffee so I could finish the last few pages of it, it's that good.
As you can probably tell from the front of the book, Mac named for MacGuyver because he gets things done and Vince run a business somewhat like the Godfather. My husband noticed the resemblance. He doesn't read much and tunes out on book discussions. But if it's the Godfather he perks up. "Hey, that looks kind of like the Godfather," he says after I've been reading all day. "Yes, honey, because these two sixth graders have a business kind of like that, they get things done for kids and if the kids can't pay, they owe favors." "Wow that's a great idea for a kids book." "Yes, that's probably what the author thought when he wrote it." "So what happens?" "I don't know. As you can see, I'm still reading." "Oh, I'll let you finish. Tell me tomorrow. Anybody named Sonny?" "No!" So , yes Mac and Vince run a business during morning and afternoon recess and lunch in this very far away bathroom that no one uses. Mac has a desk and people come to him with their problems and he solves them. Vince keeps the books. And they have muscle at the door, Joe the biggest kid in the school who only lets one person in at a time and keeps the crowd low so it doesn't look suspicious . Mac and Vince are the biggest Cubs fans in history and they are saving to go to a World Series game. And this year looks like it could be their year. This was another fact my husband was interested in because he told me the Cubs were the worst team"in the history of the free world." When he tacks that phrase on, I know they must be pretty bad. Anyway, I figured, this is fiction so why couldn't the Cubs go to the World Series. I was keeping an open mind about the whole thing as I'm sure Cubs fans do every year!
Things are running smoothly until their worst problem in years comes in, a pint sized third grader who has been placing bets with the fabled Staples. Until that day, no one even knew that Staples was even real, he was just a rumor. Staples is sending The Collector after the third grader, Fred, and he's afraid of what The Collector might do to him. As Mac and Vince make plans to take down Staples who has infiltrated their school and therefore their business, they find they have a spy in their midst, a thief, they have to meet and work with the schools nine biggest bullies (reading about Kitten alone is worth the price of the books) and their World Series funds begin to dwindle. What ensues is a systematic take down of Mac and Vince's business and friendship and a backfiring and double cross of all the plans Mac makes to take Staples down. And as is always the case, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry and Mac has to step back and get his priorities straight before he loses everything.
The ending couldn't be more perfect and I wish I could tell you about it. But I don't want to spoil it. It is absolutely fabulous and not something I would have imagined in a million years but can picture with such clarity and I'm still laughing! The mental image is hilarious except for Kitten, I might have nightmares of him. There is a set up for the next book, kind of like the old detective movies something along a sixth graders version of, "I knew the dame was trouble the moment she walked in." And I'm getting ready to dive into The Fourth Stall (number two) Part II. (Barnes and Noble will never accept this review with that in there. I'll have to write a whole different review, but maybe that's for the best.) But it's my blog, and I can write my review, here, how I want it!
As I wrote in the beginning, the book is peppered with humor from Vince's crazy Grandma's sayings to the boys trying to trip each other up on Cubs trivia. Rylander's writing style is easy for any middle grader to read, though some of the subtle meanings may be harder for younger (8-9) readers to pick up on. It just depends on the reader. None of the situations are inappropriate for anyone in the MG age group. I loved the friendship that Mac and Vince had. They had been best friends since Kindergarten or even before, when Mac moved in to the trailer park where Vince lived. Vince is quirky, but Mac gets him and loves him, really, they love each other. They don't say it, but you know they do and they aren't afraid even to cry in front of each other. That's a true testament to a boy's friendship with another boy. And I loved that Rylander showed that even in 6th grade, it was okay to cry, because when you get the snot beat out of you, you might feel like crying. And during an emotional time, like when your Dad dies, you might also feel like crying, and your best bud says, hey it's okay and he doesn't think any less of you. That's what I hope kids will take away from this book when they read it. Kudos to Chris Rylander for and outstanding novel!!
Enjoy the rest of the day!
Heather
teebeethegreat's review against another edition
4.0
This book had me up all night!
I rarely stray out of the fantasy genre, but when I do Chris Rylander will be my go to author.
Its rare to read a book in this angsty/relationship is gone so I'm going to die book culture that you find a book with two male characters and its all about them.
Mac is an awesome voice for this book and his insights into everyday things left me in stitches. Often times as a girl I've watched boys in their clusters and wondered what they were talking about or thinking and now I no and I have to say that I'm sort of glad I've always had more guy friends than girl friends.
I have to say that Kitten was one of my favorite characters. Though the boy is total crazy, but he is beautifully written and wonderfully named.
I do think it was a stretch that little kids were betting on sporting events, but it wasn't that much of a stretch of the imagination when I remember that I read Twilight (cringe)
This was a wonderful book and I am just now starting the second one and will be on to the third on by the weekend!
I rarely stray out of the fantasy genre, but when I do Chris Rylander will be my go to author.
Its rare to read a book in this angsty/relationship is gone so I'm going to die book culture that you find a book with two male characters and its all about them.
Mac is an awesome voice for this book and his insights into everyday things left me in stitches. Often times as a girl I've watched boys in their clusters and wondered what they were talking about or thinking and now I no and I have to say that I'm sort of glad I've always had more guy friends than girl friends.
I have to say that Kitten was one of my favorite characters. Though the boy is total crazy, but he is beautifully written and wonderfully named.
I do think it was a stretch that little kids were betting on sporting events, but it wasn't that much of a stretch of the imagination when I remember that I read Twilight (cringe)
This was a wonderful book and I am just now starting the second one and will be on to the third on by the weekend!
burstnwithbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Normally I'm not the type of person to read, well, this type of book, but something about this one really grabbed me. Mac sets up his own little business in the fourth stall in the east wing boys bathroom. From there, he made absolutely oodles of money. Amounting to about 6,000 dollars! I hope you don't mind I told you that. Honestly, it gives away nothing about the story plot. However, the author held back on telling how much was in the Funds until quite a ways into the book. Maybe he found it important that the amont of money was kept secret? Anyway, it was a great read, and I recommend it for 2nd to 6th grade boys, and any girls who aren't afraid of reading a "boys" book.