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Sixty-Eight Rooms #1
The Sixty-Eight Rooms
Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed in the Children’s Galleries of the Chicago Art Institute, they are a collection of 68 exquisitely crafted miniature rooms made in the 1930s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne. Each of the 68 rooms is designed in the style of a different historic period, and every detail is perfect, from the knobs on the doors to the candles in the candlesticks. Some might even say, the rooms are magic.Imagine—what if you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you were small enough to sneak inside and explore the rooms’ secrets? What if you discovered that others had done so before you? And that someone had left something important behind?Fans of Chasing Vermeer, The Doll People, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler will be swept up in the magic of this exciting art adventure!
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
188 people are currently reading
3381 people want to read
About the author
Marianne Malone
13 books51 followersI was born and raised in the Chicago area. I was not a nose-in-the-book sort of kid, like many authors. Rather, I could be found climbing trees or building forts, or making something with my hands. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy reading, it’s just that it was hard to squeeze it in with all the other things I wanted to do in a day. My mother was an artist – lucky me! – who taught me all kinds of wonderful ways to make art and to live a creative life.
She also took me to the Art Institute of Chicago frequently, which is where I fell in love with the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Many years later, after I’d studied art in college, began raising my family, co-founded a middle school for girls, and became an art teacher, the Rooms still captured my imagination. In fact, they turned me into a writer when I could no longer ignore the stories they planted in my head.
I wanted to create the kinds of books I would have loved when I was young, the kind of books that would have made me stop what I was doing, the kind of books I couldn’t put down. I had to work hard to learn how to turn these stories that lived in my head into books that young readers would enjoy. But that was half the fun of it – learning a new way to be creative!
She also took me to the Art Institute of Chicago frequently, which is where I fell in love with the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Many years later, after I’d studied art in college, began raising my family, co-founded a middle school for girls, and became an art teacher, the Rooms still captured my imagination. In fact, they turned me into a writer when I could no longer ignore the stories they planted in my head.
I wanted to create the kinds of books I would have loved when I was young, the kind of books that would have made me stop what I was doing, the kind of books I couldn’t put down. I had to work hard to learn how to turn these stories that lived in my head into books that young readers would enjoy. But that was half the fun of it – learning a new way to be creative!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 720 reviews
May 4, 2023
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For the first time since a world quarantine, we visited our favourite Ontario charity. It is less than a 2 hour drive but entering other provinces and small towns had been discouraged. I thought that the “The Sixty-Eight Rooms” looked special but it hit spectacular story notes for me! I had not heard of Marianne Malone. This 2010 début is not highly-praised but it is nothing new for the very aspects of criticism to be exactly what excite me!
Most stories have filler, drama that delays adventures. My passion is purely mysteries; no crime or urgency fabricated, novels completely given over to searching and discovery. I am elated that this story sticks the best parts, the elements I love! It is one of my new favourite books of the year! Don’t let any unappreciative review mislead you. There have been films of shrinking or discovering magic things but this is a wholly unique tone and presentation. Best friends Ruthie & Jack leisurely and methodically explore the miniature worlds of “The Thorne Rooms” at the Chicago Art Institute. It was fun to watch them work out reasonable ways to build ladders for their shrunken form and to bypass doors. This is privileged access from within maintenance hallways and I learned that these “Thorne Room” exhibits are real!
Back stories about things the maintenance man’s Daughter regrets and financial trouble of Jack’s Mom, are just enough to weave beautiful emotional outcomes into everything. The miniatures depict historic periods, with authentic ambiance making our visits educational. There is specific magic made just for ladies and we witness the relief of knowing we can trust our surreal memories of long ago. Research answers questions that many books circumvent. Some reviewers called the writing bland? The pages were speeding too briskly for me to tell.
For the first time since a world quarantine, we visited our favourite Ontario charity. It is less than a 2 hour drive but entering other provinces and small towns had been discouraged. I thought that the “The Sixty-Eight Rooms” looked special but it hit spectacular story notes for me! I had not heard of Marianne Malone. This 2010 début is not highly-praised but it is nothing new for the very aspects of criticism to be exactly what excite me!
Most stories have filler, drama that delays adventures. My passion is purely mysteries; no crime or urgency fabricated, novels completely given over to searching and discovery. I am elated that this story sticks the best parts, the elements I love! It is one of my new favourite books of the year! Don’t let any unappreciative review mislead you. There have been films of shrinking or discovering magic things but this is a wholly unique tone and presentation. Best friends Ruthie & Jack leisurely and methodically explore the miniature worlds of “The Thorne Rooms” at the Chicago Art Institute. It was fun to watch them work out reasonable ways to build ladders for their shrunken form and to bypass doors. This is privileged access from within maintenance hallways and I learned that these “Thorne Room” exhibits are real!
Back stories about things the maintenance man’s Daughter regrets and financial trouble of Jack’s Mom, are just enough to weave beautiful emotional outcomes into everything. The miniatures depict historic periods, with authentic ambiance making our visits educational. There is specific magic made just for ladies and we witness the relief of knowing we can trust our surreal memories of long ago. Research answers questions that many books circumvent. Some reviewers called the writing bland? The pages were speeding too briskly for me to tell.
September 29, 2011
Ah, so much promise... largely unfulfilled.
Ruthie is bored with her life, but becomes captivated by the Throne Rooms when her sixth grade class takes a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Her friend Jack also appreciates the rooms and has a real sense of adventure. When they find a small key that magically shrinks Ruthie to five inches tall (the perfect height to explore the Throne Rooms), they devise a plan to hide out in the Art Institute all night so that they can go exploring. In addition to getting to inhabit the miniature rooms, Ruthie and Jack realize that there is real life happening outside the windows and doors of the rooms and they end up exploring Massachusetts at the time of the Salem witch trials, and France just before the Revolution. They also learn about Christina, 16th century Duchess of Milan.
The premise has so much potential! Time travel, miniatures, shrinking and magic!!! But, it had a real problem with pacing and development. It reminded me very much of an early draft where the author is still trying to figure out the heart of the story, not a polished novel. It took way too much time for Jack and Ruthie to actually shrink and go into the rooms, then each historical period got maybe a chapter or two at most so it was hard to really connect to the era or any of the characters they met there. Also, the dialogue all felt too modern when they were in the historical times. A whole lot of time-travel-changing-history happens, like when they warn their rich French friend that a revolution might be coming or when the Puritan kid sees their flashlight. (There's also a lot of sneakiness and lying to grown-ups that I wasn't too fond of.) I got the feeling that the author wanted kids to get excited about history, by "living" it, but I didn't really get why she chose those time periods as it seems like others would be more appealing to young readers (the medieval rooms with the knights and jousting were glossed over too quickly, IMO!)
The side story about Jack's artist mom having a hard time paying the bills will probably resonate with many kids in today's economy, and while of course I enjoy a happy ending, I'm not sure it's especially realistic. A few of the side characters, like Jack's Mom and Mrs. McVitty, the cool old lady who has a vintage book shop, are well realized but I never really connected with most of the characters. I found Jack more believable/interesting than Ruthie.
For the short six discs, I kept up with this for my commute but I think I would have lost interest had I been reading it at home with other distractions/better books around. I think I'd better read
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler soon!
But, I must say the Thorne Rooms do seem really cool! I had never heard of them before this book and now I'd love to see them :-)
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/...
Ruthie is bored with her life, but becomes captivated by the Throne Rooms when her sixth grade class takes a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Her friend Jack also appreciates the rooms and has a real sense of adventure. When they find a small key that magically shrinks Ruthie to five inches tall (the perfect height to explore the Throne Rooms), they devise a plan to hide out in the Art Institute all night so that they can go exploring. In addition to getting to inhabit the miniature rooms, Ruthie and Jack realize that there is real life happening outside the windows and doors of the rooms and they end up exploring Massachusetts at the time of the Salem witch trials, and France just before the Revolution. They also learn about Christina, 16th century Duchess of Milan.
The premise has so much potential! Time travel, miniatures, shrinking and magic!!! But, it had a real problem with pacing and development. It reminded me very much of an early draft where the author is still trying to figure out the heart of the story, not a polished novel. It took way too much time for Jack and Ruthie to actually shrink and go into the rooms, then each historical period got maybe a chapter or two at most so it was hard to really connect to the era or any of the characters they met there. Also, the dialogue all felt too modern when they were in the historical times. A whole lot of time-travel-changing-history happens, like when they warn their rich French friend that a revolution might be coming or when the Puritan kid sees their flashlight. (There's also a lot of sneakiness and lying to grown-ups that I wasn't too fond of.) I got the feeling that the author wanted kids to get excited about history, by "living" it, but I didn't really get why she chose those time periods as it seems like others would be more appealing to young readers (the medieval rooms with the knights and jousting were glossed over too quickly, IMO!)
The side story about Jack's artist mom having a hard time paying the bills will probably resonate with many kids in today's economy, and while of course I enjoy a happy ending, I'm not sure it's especially realistic. A few of the side characters, like Jack's Mom and Mrs. McVitty, the cool old lady who has a vintage book shop, are well realized but I never really connected with most of the characters. I found Jack more believable/interesting than Ruthie.
For the short six discs, I kept up with this for my commute but I think I would have lost interest had I been reading it at home with other distractions/better books around. I think I'd better read
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler soon!
But, I must say the Thorne Rooms do seem really cool! I had never heard of them before this book and now I'd love to see them :-)
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/...
June 27, 2022
I’ll make this statement first: I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Normally I don’t begin reviews that way, but after reading so many negative comments from readers who hated this book, I needed to say that. (The ten-year-old me is sticking out my tongue and saying, “So there!” to all the people who ripped this book to shreds in their reviews!)
My dollhouse that I had as a kid was one of my favorite toys. If I had had access to a key that shrunk me and allowed me to enter, I would grabbed it and gone wild!
Jack and Ruthie, best buds since pre-school, find just such a key and set out to explore the 68 Thorne Rooms at the Chicago Art Institute. Rooms that are period-decorated down to the tiniest authentic details (like a miniature violin that actually plays!) The two have to really think on their feet as they encounter obstacles and people from other time periods along the way.
The audience for this was intended to be middle-grade readers. That age of children usually have little difficulty suspending disbelief and enjoying magical fantasy. Lucy Barfield, the child to whom “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was dedicated to, was in this age range. So were the characters in the first Harry Potter book. I could continue with such examples, but my point is this: “68 Rooms” was intended to be a book in which readers could be drawn into a magical fantasy, and perhaps even learn some problem-solving skills and a bit of history along the way. And Marianne Malone achieved her goal with this 52-year-old lover of children’s books! I can’t wait to read the other three in this series! And I will absolutely go to see these marvelous miniature creations for myself in Chicago someday!
Normally I don’t begin reviews that way, but after reading so many negative comments from readers who hated this book, I needed to say that. (The ten-year-old me is sticking out my tongue and saying, “So there!” to all the people who ripped this book to shreds in their reviews!)
My dollhouse that I had as a kid was one of my favorite toys. If I had had access to a key that shrunk me and allowed me to enter, I would grabbed it and gone wild!
Jack and Ruthie, best buds since pre-school, find just such a key and set out to explore the 68 Thorne Rooms at the Chicago Art Institute. Rooms that are period-decorated down to the tiniest authentic details (like a miniature violin that actually plays!) The two have to really think on their feet as they encounter obstacles and people from other time periods along the way.
The audience for this was intended to be middle-grade readers. That age of children usually have little difficulty suspending disbelief and enjoying magical fantasy. Lucy Barfield, the child to whom “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” was dedicated to, was in this age range. So were the characters in the first Harry Potter book. I could continue with such examples, but my point is this: “68 Rooms” was intended to be a book in which readers could be drawn into a magical fantasy, and perhaps even learn some problem-solving skills and a bit of history along the way. And Marianne Malone achieved her goal with this 52-year-old lover of children’s books! I can’t wait to read the other three in this series! And I will absolutely go to see these marvelous miniature creations for myself in Chicago someday!
June 19, 2015
This should have been totally stellar. I won't beat a dead horse here, the other reviews are saying that the prose is clunky, and they're exactly right. Other reviews are saying that the dialog is off, and they're exactly right. Most things people are saying about this are correct: the writing is very bad. I'm giving it two stars for imagination. I will not be recommending this book to any kids. I"ll let it find its own way. Because while it's true that crummy writing never stopped me from liking a book when I was a kid, it was the strong writing and plot and imagery that stayed with me.
One of my writing profs always used to talk about sentences that "leak". They're not tight enough to tell the reader what's happening, or to carry the story along. That's what happens in this book. It's a huge disappointment, because the idea was great. The crap writing and the improbabilities of the book are what screwed it all up (for example, the family doesn't have much money, but they apparently live in an apartment somewhere near the Gold Coast? The best friend's mom won't be able to make next month's rent, but somehow doesn't realize it until like the third week of that month?).
Ba humbug.
One of my writing profs always used to talk about sentences that "leak". They're not tight enough to tell the reader what's happening, or to carry the story along. That's what happens in this book. It's a huge disappointment, because the idea was great. The crap writing and the improbabilities of the book are what screwed it all up (for example, the family doesn't have much money, but they apparently live in an apartment somewhere near the Gold Coast? The best friend's mom won't be able to make next month's rent, but somehow doesn't realize it until like the third week of that month?).
Ba humbug.
March 1, 2010
this is going to be an unnecessarily long review, but the only reason i finished reading this book was because it kept giving me more reasons to want to rant about something.
i got the galley for this a few months ago. the owner of the bookstore gave it to me because she knew i was from chicago and thought i would like a book that takes place at the art institute. she was right, i was totally excited. i started reading it and had to stop 20 pages in because the prose, especially the dialogue, was just so clunky. every paragraph feels like it could have been cut in half. for example, when kids are caught asking for someone to continue throwing a muffin on the school bus:
"'I don't think so,' said Mrs. Biddle, walking down the aisle and holding out her hand for the muffin. 'You guys know the rules: no throwing food--on the bus or anywhere else!'"
really? you needed to spell out the rule for them? didn't they know the rule? and if you're doing it for your reader, give them a little credit. i'm pretty sure that most kids could figure out exactly what this mysterious "rule" was that they were breaking. also, this is one of the rare instances where the characters don't say the name of the person they're speaking to aloud, which drives me crazy. "I don't know, which one do you like, Ruthie?" ugh. she knows you're talking to her. no one talks like that, and the people who do are super creepy.
so i put the book down originally.
then, a couple months later, the sales representative from random house comes into the store to talk about books coming out this winter. she is incredibly excited about this book. "oh, i just love it! you have to read it," she says. so i think maybe i should give it another chance. but then i forget about it again.
which brings us to last week, when the book was officially released. i unpacked the box and for a second thought i was holding a new blue balliett book in my hand. the font choice, jacket design, and book layout would all fit in perfectly with balliett's chicago trilogy, and considering the setting of the book i guess i can see where they're coming from. kids who liked those books will pick up this book, and the plot summary will seal the deal. it's a little sad, though, that the book can't make a place of its own on the shelf. that's mostly on the publisher, but malone was asking for it a little. "a boy and a girl in 6th grade at a fancy private school uncover a mystery while on a class field trip to the art institute of chicgao." oh yeah, i've read that book. it's called "chasing vermeer."
but for some reason that was enough to make me want to try it again. and now i am here. i finished the book, but all of my original complaints about it stand, with the added complaint that there is not really much of a mystery or urgency to the plot. 90% of the book is just "look! i'm small! and in these small rooms!" we find out a little bit about how that happened (sort of) and who else had done it, but that's it. the only thing that kept me reading was that i kind of wanted to find more things to complain about.
there will be some kids, especially in chicago who have seen the thorne rooms, who will love this book. poorly-written dialogue never stopped me when i was 10. but when i think about how this manuscript got an agent, and then an editor got hold of it and loved it and revised it, and then a sales rep looked at it and enthusiastically talked it up to the children's book buyer at her local independent book store, i get frustrated when the end product is just so lame. again: ugh.
i got the galley for this a few months ago. the owner of the bookstore gave it to me because she knew i was from chicago and thought i would like a book that takes place at the art institute. she was right, i was totally excited. i started reading it and had to stop 20 pages in because the prose, especially the dialogue, was just so clunky. every paragraph feels like it could have been cut in half. for example, when kids are caught asking for someone to continue throwing a muffin on the school bus:
"'I don't think so,' said Mrs. Biddle, walking down the aisle and holding out her hand for the muffin. 'You guys know the rules: no throwing food--on the bus or anywhere else!'"
really? you needed to spell out the rule for them? didn't they know the rule? and if you're doing it for your reader, give them a little credit. i'm pretty sure that most kids could figure out exactly what this mysterious "rule" was that they were breaking. also, this is one of the rare instances where the characters don't say the name of the person they're speaking to aloud, which drives me crazy. "I don't know, which one do you like, Ruthie?" ugh. she knows you're talking to her. no one talks like that, and the people who do are super creepy.
so i put the book down originally.
then, a couple months later, the sales representative from random house comes into the store to talk about books coming out this winter. she is incredibly excited about this book. "oh, i just love it! you have to read it," she says. so i think maybe i should give it another chance. but then i forget about it again.
which brings us to last week, when the book was officially released. i unpacked the box and for a second thought i was holding a new blue balliett book in my hand. the font choice, jacket design, and book layout would all fit in perfectly with balliett's chicago trilogy, and considering the setting of the book i guess i can see where they're coming from. kids who liked those books will pick up this book, and the plot summary will seal the deal. it's a little sad, though, that the book can't make a place of its own on the shelf. that's mostly on the publisher, but malone was asking for it a little. "a boy and a girl in 6th grade at a fancy private school uncover a mystery while on a class field trip to the art institute of chicgao." oh yeah, i've read that book. it's called "chasing vermeer."
but for some reason that was enough to make me want to try it again. and now i am here. i finished the book, but all of my original complaints about it stand, with the added complaint that there is not really much of a mystery or urgency to the plot. 90% of the book is just "look! i'm small! and in these small rooms!" we find out a little bit about how that happened (sort of) and who else had done it, but that's it. the only thing that kept me reading was that i kind of wanted to find more things to complain about.
there will be some kids, especially in chicago who have seen the thorne rooms, who will love this book. poorly-written dialogue never stopped me when i was 10. but when i think about how this manuscript got an agent, and then an editor got hold of it and loved it and revised it, and then a sales rep looked at it and enthusiastically talked it up to the children's book buyer at her local independent book store, i get frustrated when the end product is just so lame. again: ugh.
September 14, 2016
Holy Boring Batman!
Our school district has this great (or could be great) idea: One District, One Book. The idea is the school district will give each family a copy of the same district-selected book and have all parents read the book to their kids. Could be fun, right? Except they keep choosing these horribly boring books! Last year it was The Doll People, about doll-house dolls that are really alive but have to not let the humans know. This year the book was The Sixty-Eight Rooms, about kids who find a key that shrinks them down to 5 inches tall and they get to explore the Thorne Rooms (realistic miniature rooms--picture fancy doll house rooms) at the Chicago Art Institue.
Sense a theme?
I guess The Sixty-Eight Rooms could have been a fun story, but it's like the author has some personal mission to educate 8-year-olds on the glories of life as an artist. There were long breaks in the story where the characters wouldn't be doing anything but, ummm . . . I don't even know. I'm sitting here trying to remember what they did but I can't. All I know is that they did NOTHING to advance the plot of the story and it drove me crazy!!!
Plus, Jack and Ruthie, the 11-year-old main characters, are liers. They lied to their parents multiple times. One biggie--they each told their parents they were spending the night at the other's house when in reality they spent the night at the museum. The parents almost found out their deception a few times, and the kids had to tell more lies to keep them from discovering the truth. They get away with their lies, never face consequences, and instead get to have magical adventures. There were multiple times I had to pause the story and remind my kids that these kids of lies are not okay.
Oh, and I'm all for 11-year-old girls and boys being best friends with each other, but spending the night at each others houses? The book is 100% innocent, but seriously?
Why did the school district make us read such a lame-o book?
The kids didn't like it. I didn't like it. The only thing the kids liked is that I was reading to them. Read to your kids. But do not read them this book!
**Update**
So, Mrs. Malone came to visit my kids school today, and the daughter of a friend who has been discussing this book with me raised her hand and ask the auther why the kids lied in her story. Instead of using the opportunity to teach the kids, guess what she said? She told the kids "that the lies did not hurt anyone and the kids told the lies because staying at the museum was a once in a lifetime opportunity." How disappointing! I came back thinking I'd lower my rating of the book by a star, but when I got here I'd already given it the lowest possible rating!
Our school district has this great (or could be great) idea: One District, One Book. The idea is the school district will give each family a copy of the same district-selected book and have all parents read the book to their kids. Could be fun, right? Except they keep choosing these horribly boring books! Last year it was The Doll People, about doll-house dolls that are really alive but have to not let the humans know. This year the book was The Sixty-Eight Rooms, about kids who find a key that shrinks them down to 5 inches tall and they get to explore the Thorne Rooms (realistic miniature rooms--picture fancy doll house rooms) at the Chicago Art Institue.
Sense a theme?
I guess The Sixty-Eight Rooms could have been a fun story, but it's like the author has some personal mission to educate 8-year-olds on the glories of life as an artist. There were long breaks in the story where the characters wouldn't be doing anything but, ummm . . . I don't even know. I'm sitting here trying to remember what they did but I can't. All I know is that they did NOTHING to advance the plot of the story and it drove me crazy!!!
Plus, Jack and Ruthie, the 11-year-old main characters, are liers. They lied to their parents multiple times. One biggie--they each told their parents they were spending the night at the other's house when in reality they spent the night at the museum. The parents almost found out their deception a few times, and the kids had to tell more lies to keep them from discovering the truth. They get away with their lies, never face consequences, and instead get to have magical adventures. There were multiple times I had to pause the story and remind my kids that these kids of lies are not okay.
Oh, and I'm all for 11-year-old girls and boys being best friends with each other, but spending the night at each others houses? The book is 100% innocent, but seriously?
Why did the school district make us read such a lame-o book?
The kids didn't like it. I didn't like it. The only thing the kids liked is that I was reading to them. Read to your kids. But do not read them this book!
**Update**
So, Mrs. Malone came to visit my kids school today, and the daughter of a friend who has been discussing this book with me raised her hand and ask the auther why the kids lied in her story. Instead of using the opportunity to teach the kids, guess what she said? She told the kids "that the lies did not hurt anyone and the kids told the lies because staying at the museum was a once in a lifetime opportunity." How disappointing! I came back thinking I'd lower my rating of the book by a star, but when I got here I'd already given it the lowest possible rating!
September 3, 2012
I really liked The Sixty Eight Rooms because it is about a girl who find a magical key that has the power to make her shrink to five inches tall. Which is helpfull because in a museum there is an exibit with muniture rooms that were made to look like they were from different places in different years that are the perfect size for her to explore when she is shrukin. I think it would be really cool to be five inches tall and to get to experience being in a 1940's French bedroom, or a 1680's English kitchen. These are just two of the sixty eight amazing rooms. The two main characters, Jack and Ruthie, discover truly magical things about the rooms. They get to do thing that you wouldn't believe, but I don't want to ruin the surprise. I recommend this book to enveryone.
July 31, 2018
Very interesting middle reader book about the Thorne Miniature Rooms found at the Art Institute of Chicago. Love the idea of the rooms coming to life and allowing you to explore them with a little magical help.
November 4, 2014
CHICAGO!!!
August 27, 2014
Just okay.
This book had a ton of potential but the author's writing left much to be desired.
As a Chicago-area native I have been to the Chicago Art Institute on several occasions and the Throne rooms continue to be one of my favorite exhibits (although I prefer Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry).
I love Thumbelina, Honey I shrunk the Kids, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler so when I saw that this book was about kids shrinking down to miniature size to play in a museum after dark I was so excited to dive in.
Then I started reading....
The dialogue is painful, it is stiff and unnatural. The descriptions are unimaginative and the plot was weaken by the author's need to set up for a larger story arc.
The 'magic' of the Thorne Rooms is interesting. It went beyond just turning tiny and jumping on canopy beds. The children go into different parts of history, French Revolution and the Salem Witch Trials, and meet other children. These instances of time travel were by far the most interesting part of the book and really made it worth reading.
Of course there are a few "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" moments like the obligatory ahhh bugs are now giant scene...
...but the history aspect was what made it kind of cool.
What would have made it cooler for me is if there was more Chicago. The setting didn't jump out as being really authentic which is weird because I think that the author grew up here. I saw missed opportunities to name drop specifics like neighborhoods or well known eateries. It felt like it could have been any metropolitan area.
Also the author invests too much time outside the museum. I get that the author is trying to build up characters and side stories to continue the series but it could have been handled better. There were just too many boring scenes that I had to sit through, like when Ruthie's neighbor, Mrs. McVittie, makes her soup or when Ruthie and Jack go to a coffee shop for hot chocolate and come up with a plan and then go to Mrs. McVittie to discuss the plan and then I hear about the plan again and again. Stop wasting my time, focus on the magic!
Besides, those characters you're investing in are completely flat and boring. Jack's mom Lydia is a struggling artist and they might have to lose theirhouse loft, ohhhh how Chicago. Guess what? Here is a run down of her original characters
Ruthie- She is our main character. She doesn't like sharing a room with her older sister. She is best friends with Jack, she is the responsible one.
Jack- He is Ruthie's best friend. He is a carefree and daring history buff but sometimes he needs Ruthie to remind him to do his homework, aw shucks. He is artistic and crafty and so cool.
Mr. Bell- An old security guard that used to be a famous photographer but quit because he lost his favorite photo album (um okay) he has a dead wife so you should instantly love him.
Lydia- She is Jack's single mom who is barely getting by, heaven forbid we see a single mom who isn't near destitute. She is artsy. She lets Ruthie call her by her first name.
Claire- Ruthie's older sister, she is in high school and taking the ACTs. She is a neglectful bitch.
Ruthie's Parents- Um her mom works at her school and speaks French, but that isn't important because there is another character that conveniently speaks French when the kids need something translated. Her dad does....something? They were pretty much ghost parents.
Mrs. McVittie- She is the one characters that could have been interesting but she is neglected until the plot calls on her to be useful. Instead the author just uses her as the sassy stand-in old fogey who is 'in' on the action.
(yes, that is a Halloweentown reference.)
Overall, this was just okay. Sadly the writing doesn't make the Thorne Rooms come alive, there are great ideas but they are poorly executed. Perhaps the author was too focused on setting up a series, but having a second book is no excuse for leaving your reader feeling cheated. It is a great concept and I loved the historical fiction aspect but the writing was just so lackluster.
This book had a ton of potential but the author's writing left much to be desired.
As a Chicago-area native I have been to the Chicago Art Institute on several occasions and the Throne rooms continue to be one of my favorite exhibits (although I prefer Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry).
I love Thumbelina, Honey I shrunk the Kids, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler so when I saw that this book was about kids shrinking down to miniature size to play in a museum after dark I was so excited to dive in.
Then I started reading....
The dialogue is painful, it is stiff and unnatural. The descriptions are unimaginative and the plot was weaken by the author's need to set up for a larger story arc.
The 'magic' of the Thorne Rooms is interesting. It went beyond just turning tiny and jumping on canopy beds. The children go into different parts of history, French Revolution and the Salem Witch Trials, and meet other children. These instances of time travel were by far the most interesting part of the book and really made it worth reading.
Of course there are a few "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" moments like the obligatory ahhh bugs are now giant scene...
...but the history aspect was what made it kind of cool.
What would have made it cooler for me is if there was more Chicago. The setting didn't jump out as being really authentic which is weird because I think that the author grew up here. I saw missed opportunities to name drop specifics like neighborhoods or well known eateries. It felt like it could have been any metropolitan area.
Also the author invests too much time outside the museum. I get that the author is trying to build up characters and side stories to continue the series but it could have been handled better. There were just too many boring scenes that I had to sit through, like when Ruthie's neighbor, Mrs. McVittie, makes her soup or when Ruthie and Jack go to a coffee shop for hot chocolate and come up with a plan and then go to Mrs. McVittie to discuss the plan and then I hear about the plan again and again. Stop wasting my time, focus on the magic!
Besides, those characters you're investing in are completely flat and boring. Jack's mom Lydia is a struggling artist and they might have to lose their
Ruthie- She is our main character. She doesn't like sharing a room with her older sister. She is best friends with Jack, she is the responsible one.
Jack- He is Ruthie's best friend. He is a carefree and daring history buff but sometimes he needs Ruthie to remind him to do his homework, aw shucks. He is artistic and crafty and so cool.
Mr. Bell- An old security guard that used to be a famous photographer but quit because he lost his favorite photo album (um okay) he has a dead wife so you should instantly love him.
Lydia- She is Jack's single mom who is barely getting by, heaven forbid we see a single mom who isn't near destitute. She is artsy. She lets Ruthie call her by her first name.
Claire- Ruthie's older sister, she is in high school and taking the ACTs. She is a neglectful bitch.
Ruthie's Parents- Um her mom works at her school and speaks French, but that isn't important because there is another character that conveniently speaks French when the kids need something translated. Her dad does....something? They were pretty much ghost parents.
Mrs. McVittie- She is the one characters that could have been interesting but she is neglected until the plot calls on her to be useful. Instead the author just uses her as the sassy stand-in old fogey who is 'in' on the action.
(yes, that is a Halloweentown reference.)
Overall, this was just okay. Sadly the writing doesn't make the Thorne Rooms come alive, there are great ideas but they are poorly executed. Perhaps the author was too focused on setting up a series, but having a second book is no excuse for leaving your reader feeling cheated. It is a great concept and I loved the historical fiction aspect but the writing was just so lackluster.
August 5, 2011
I would rate this one 2.5 stars if I could. When I first head about The Sixty-Eight Rooms, I was excited and intrigued by the book's premise. Having now read it, I am feeling a bit disappointed by the book's overall lack of 'oomph.' Twelve-year-old friends Ruthie and Jack visit the miniature Thorne Rooms on a class trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. Ruthie is immediately entranced by the magic of the rooms. Imagine her surprise when she and Jack discover a key that allows them to explore these rooms. What mysteries and adventures await them inside the Thorne Rooms?
I think the overall idea of the book's storyline is a fantastic one. But for me, the story and the characters really fell short. The book lacks the magical feeling one gets when reading a book set in a fantastic world (such as a classic like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). I never felt 'sucked into' the worlds of the Thorne Rooms. Also, I believe the author mistakenly tried to force the book to be more of a mystery than a fantasy/adventure, and the book suffered because of it. Both Ruthie and Jack are very flat characters, which makes reading their adventures almost dull at times. Plus, the illustrations really did nothing to enhance the text in my opinion--I don't think they were necessary for this upper elementary read.
Now, having said all that, I did enjoy parts of the story, and I believe many readers ages 9 and up would really get a kick out of Ruthie and Jack's magical adventures. I may or may not give the second book in the series (Stealing Magic: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure, due out in 2012) a try. I would recommend this book to kids who love fantasy/adventure stories.
I think the overall idea of the book's storyline is a fantastic one. But for me, the story and the characters really fell short. The book lacks the magical feeling one gets when reading a book set in a fantastic world (such as a classic like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). I never felt 'sucked into' the worlds of the Thorne Rooms. Also, I believe the author mistakenly tried to force the book to be more of a mystery than a fantasy/adventure, and the book suffered because of it. Both Ruthie and Jack are very flat characters, which makes reading their adventures almost dull at times. Plus, the illustrations really did nothing to enhance the text in my opinion--I don't think they were necessary for this upper elementary read.
Now, having said all that, I did enjoy parts of the story, and I believe many readers ages 9 and up would really get a kick out of Ruthie and Jack's magical adventures. I may or may not give the second book in the series (Stealing Magic: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure, due out in 2012) a try. I would recommend this book to kids who love fantasy/adventure stories.
February 16, 2010
This was a fun, light read. It was sort of a From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
meets the Borrowers
meets Mary Pope Osborne's
Magic Tree House series.
Ruthie and Jack go on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, and while there find a key that allows them to shrink and enter the Thorne Room Miniatures. While there, they find out they are not the first to enter these rooms...
I found the Thorne Rooms so fascinating, I had to look them up online. Maybe someday I'll get to see them in person!
meets the Borrowers
meets Mary Pope Osborne's
Magic Tree House series.Ruthie and Jack go on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, and while there find a key that allows them to shrink and enter the Thorne Room Miniatures. While there, they find out they are not the first to enter these rooms...
I found the Thorne Rooms so fascinating, I had to look them up online. Maybe someday I'll get to see them in person!
March 3, 2010
I was highly anticipating this book, as the concept of two eleven-year olds, Ruthie and Jack, who discover a mystery behind the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago is an intriguing premise. I was hoping this would be a good real-alike to either The 39 Clues or Blue Balliet's books. However, I found this book to be hopelessly derivative (even the cover screamed 'see how much like Chasing Vermeer' I am?), the characters to be fairly underdeveloped (especially the motivation of Ruthie, the protagonist), the mystery uncompelling, and the ending abrupt. I literally had to flip back to the last page of this book after finishing, as I was so confused that I was viewing an Author's Note, rather than an additional chapter.
However, on the plus side, the author's love for the Thorne Rooms does shine through, and younger readers may be charmed by the magic discovered by Ruthie and Jack. For me, though, it fell flat.
However, on the plus side, the author's love for the Thorne Rooms does shine through, and younger readers may be charmed by the magic discovered by Ruthie and Jack. For me, though, it fell flat.
August 30, 2012
A good deal below my regular reading level, but when I learned there was a teen/children's book about the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute, I had to grab it. An engaging story with a lot of description about the wonderful rooms, and a really neat imagining of a kid's "what if?" The story had enough conflict to propel it forward without ever getting too dramatic, and the main focus was always on the rooms themselves. I could tell the author spent a lot of time and research, and the story she spun fit perfectly into the story of the Thorne Rooms. I was pretty impressed.
May 3, 2010
This was a cute book, and I loved the premise. I always wanted to shrink to the size of my Barbies when I was a child and live among their cool stuff. This book is about children who shrink and go in the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, which would be pretty darn cool.
It has the required children adventure with a roach (gross!) and shows readers the importance of friendship and helping your friends out. A fun read, overall.
It has the required children adventure with a roach (gross!) and shows readers the importance of friendship and helping your friends out. A fun read, overall.
April 20, 2021
I think this book is very interesting. I love the storyline, and all of the characters.
October 2, 2023
This was a surprisingly good story. Sometimes, I love to read children's books and the title and description caught my attention. It is about two children who are interested in the Thorne Rooms at Chicago's Art Museum. Their fascination with these amazing miniature rooms leads them on a great adventure. They find a magic key that shrinks them down, not only enabling them to explore the rooms, but also step back into time and meet folks from such places as the Paris, France and Salem, Massachusettes. There is also some mystery solving for Jack and Ruthie to do. I listened to the audiobook version of The Sixty-Eight Rooms and thought Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job reading this story. I would recommend it to children who love stories about adventure and history, with some magic mixed in.
September 21, 2020
This was a fun middle grade book I found browsing at the library. I love when my random finds turn out to be good!
I had never heard of the Thorne Rooms, but now I pretty much want to take a deep dive into learning about this real life exhibit because it sounds so cool!
My one issue with this story is the amount of lying and untruth telling the kids have to do in order for the plot to unfold. I think to a certain extent you have to allow for this a little in books about young kids because they aren’t independent and can’t just go off and do what they want. How are they supposed to sneak in museums and have adventures otherwise? But even though the kids clearly understood that they were making a choice to lie, they never got caught out. (Which is why I'm giving this 3 instead of 4 stars.) A couple of the adults definitely knew what was going on, at least after the fact, but the truth wasn’t always confronted. There are other books in the series so maybe all will come to light then! Still a fun and interesting read.
I had never heard of the Thorne Rooms, but now I pretty much want to take a deep dive into learning about this real life exhibit because it sounds so cool!
My one issue with this story is the amount of lying and untruth telling the kids have to do in order for the plot to unfold. I think to a certain extent you have to allow for this a little in books about young kids because they aren’t independent and can’t just go off and do what they want. How are they supposed to sneak in museums and have adventures otherwise? But even though the kids clearly understood that they were making a choice to lie, they never got caught out. (Which is why I'm giving this 3 instead of 4 stars.) A couple of the adults definitely knew what was going on, at least after the fact, but the truth wasn’t always confronted. There are other books in the series so maybe all will come to light then! Still a fun and interesting read.
December 4, 2010
(2.5 stars) The Sixty-Eight Rooms has a really fun premise. Sixth-graders Ruthie and Jack visit the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, and discover a magic key that enables them to shrink to doll-size and explore the rooms up close. It turns out that each room opens onto a real landscape from the time it portrays, complete with real people that Ruthie and Jack can interact with. I thought this was a great concept, and I remember thinking that Marianne Malone should set a sequel in the Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Well, as it turns out, Malone has plenty of room for sequels without ever leaving the Thorne Rooms, by virtue of the fact that Ruthie and Jack barely explore the rooms in this novel. I concur with other reviewers that Malone could have done much more with the setting. They do venture into several of the rooms, but much of the page time is devoted instead to logistics (such as how to climb from the floor to the rooms while shrunk) and to subplots (such as Jack’s mother’s financial crisis).
I also found the prose a little stilted, especially the dialogue. Part of the problem is that Malone’s characters constantly use each other’s first names as they talk. Another issue is that while many authors skim over the “small talk” portion of conversations, Malone does not. So, the story sometimes bogs down as characters go through the rituals of greeting or thanking each other. I’m not sure if this is an editing quirk or if it’s meant to model etiquette for young readers, but the effect is that Ruthie and Jack come off like idealized kids from a fifties educational film rather than like real kids. This is not to say, of course, that kids shouldn’t have good manners, just that what works in real speech isn’t necessarily effective in written dialogue. It wouldn’t work if they constantly said “um,” “uh,” or “like,” either.
The final complaint I have is possibly my own fault. I don’t read much middle-grade literature. I read a lot of YA, but the style and themes are very different between the two genres. So, I may be off base when I complain that some of the problems the characters face are resolved much too easily. For example, I had trouble believing that the friends’ meeting with Sophie, an aristocratic girl in 18th century France, changed Sophie’s life so profoundly. I read this right after finishing the YA novel Before I Fall, which also features a protagonist who goes backward in time and tries to change lives. It was extremely difficult for her. Even when she had a clear goal, she didn’t always know the right way to achieve it. Meanwhile, Ruthie and Jack wander into the 1700s, tell Sophie there’s going to be a revolution, and voila! She instantly believes them, and acts accordingly. But as I said, this may be a mismatch between the book and me. I’m accustomed to books for older readers, and I don’t remember for certain whether the books of my childhood had more complex plots than this. It’s likely that some did and some did not.
The Sixty-Eight Rooms was disappointing to me, but I still give Marianne Malone a lot of credit for the cute concept, and also for introducing me to the Thorne Rooms. I had not heard of them before reading this novel, and will definitely have a look next time I’m in Chicago.
Well, as it turns out, Malone has plenty of room for sequels without ever leaving the Thorne Rooms, by virtue of the fact that Ruthie and Jack barely explore the rooms in this novel. I concur with other reviewers that Malone could have done much more with the setting. They do venture into several of the rooms, but much of the page time is devoted instead to logistics (such as how to climb from the floor to the rooms while shrunk) and to subplots (such as Jack’s mother’s financial crisis).
I also found the prose a little stilted, especially the dialogue. Part of the problem is that Malone’s characters constantly use each other’s first names as they talk. Another issue is that while many authors skim over the “small talk” portion of conversations, Malone does not. So, the story sometimes bogs down as characters go through the rituals of greeting or thanking each other. I’m not sure if this is an editing quirk or if it’s meant to model etiquette for young readers, but the effect is that Ruthie and Jack come off like idealized kids from a fifties educational film rather than like real kids. This is not to say, of course, that kids shouldn’t have good manners, just that what works in real speech isn’t necessarily effective in written dialogue. It wouldn’t work if they constantly said “um,” “uh,” or “like,” either.
The final complaint I have is possibly my own fault. I don’t read much middle-grade literature. I read a lot of YA, but the style and themes are very different between the two genres. So, I may be off base when I complain that some of the problems the characters face are resolved much too easily. For example, I had trouble believing that the friends’ meeting with Sophie, an aristocratic girl in 18th century France, changed Sophie’s life so profoundly. I read this right after finishing the YA novel Before I Fall, which also features a protagonist who goes backward in time and tries to change lives. It was extremely difficult for her. Even when she had a clear goal, she didn’t always know the right way to achieve it. Meanwhile, Ruthie and Jack wander into the 1700s, tell Sophie there’s going to be a revolution, and voila! She instantly believes them, and acts accordingly. But as I said, this may be a mismatch between the book and me. I’m accustomed to books for older readers, and I don’t remember for certain whether the books of my childhood had more complex plots than this. It’s likely that some did and some did not.
The Sixty-Eight Rooms was disappointing to me, but I still give Marianne Malone a lot of credit for the cute concept, and also for introducing me to the Thorne Rooms. I had not heard of them before reading this novel, and will definitely have a look next time I’m in Chicago.
February 13, 2013
Have you ever done something spectacular, so spectacular that it made you believe that it did not really happen? Have you ever believed in magic, even in the slightest bit? Ruthie and Jack in the book The 68 Rooms by Marianne Malone had an experience that did just that.
The main characters in this book are very relatable and interesting. Ruthie, is a good, hard working student that feels that life is so boring for her and nothing ever unique and fun happens to her. Jack, an adventurous city kid, is living on very little money, but is still always the one that is in good sprits.
Ruthie and Jack were just two ordinary city kids that lived in the heart of Chicago, until they went on a field trip to the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute. They both loved the Thorne Rooms and could not get enough of how real everything looked, even though they were miniature! Jack becomes friends with the security guard who let them in a secret closet just for the guard so they can see how the lighting works. Jack starts to look around the place, so curious and interested. After a couple minutes of wondering around the place, he finds a key. But this was no ordinary key, at his was a very special one. Of course, Ruthie and Jack did not know this at the time. The key would allow them to shrink to five inches, so small, that they would be able to fit into the Thorne Rooms! But the question is, how can they go in without anybody catching them? How is this happening? What will they discover? What will they experience? You will have to read the book to find out!
I think this book was very well written and is by far one of my favorite fantasy books that I have read. The author used a lot of detail and foreshadow. One thing that I did not love was that the author, at some parts of the book, did not describe things very well and just was worded in a confusing way. Luckily, the illustrations were always at a part where I needed a visual. I thought that this book was a very interesting and engrossing. I never wanted to put the book down!
Rating: *****
The main characters in this book are very relatable and interesting. Ruthie, is a good, hard working student that feels that life is so boring for her and nothing ever unique and fun happens to her. Jack, an adventurous city kid, is living on very little money, but is still always the one that is in good sprits.
Ruthie and Jack were just two ordinary city kids that lived in the heart of Chicago, until they went on a field trip to the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute. They both loved the Thorne Rooms and could not get enough of how real everything looked, even though they were miniature! Jack becomes friends with the security guard who let them in a secret closet just for the guard so they can see how the lighting works. Jack starts to look around the place, so curious and interested. After a couple minutes of wondering around the place, he finds a key. But this was no ordinary key, at his was a very special one. Of course, Ruthie and Jack did not know this at the time. The key would allow them to shrink to five inches, so small, that they would be able to fit into the Thorne Rooms! But the question is, how can they go in without anybody catching them? How is this happening? What will they discover? What will they experience? You will have to read the book to find out!
I think this book was very well written and is by far one of my favorite fantasy books that I have read. The author used a lot of detail and foreshadow. One thing that I did not love was that the author, at some parts of the book, did not describe things very well and just was worded in a confusing way. Luckily, the illustrations were always at a part where I needed a visual. I thought that this book was a very interesting and engrossing. I never wanted to put the book down!
Rating: *****
May 10, 2010
I'm from Chicago and have visited the Thorne Rooms many times (and love them), so I was immediately drawn to this book. It started out a bit slow for my tastes, but I soon realized that the intended audience for this book is not me. It's younger middle grade, or for kids who scare easily. Once I adjusted to that, I really enjoyed the story.
I do think that the author could have focused a bit more on the rooms themselves, and less on the logistics and details of how the kids get in and out of the museum. The rooms themselves are so fascinating, and those details were sometimes overshadowed by those mundane details. I also thought the twist with the rooms could have been explored a bit more.
But, really, this is a fun, light story that kids as young as seven or eight would really enjoy. I plan to give my copy to my seven year old son, and I think he will love it.
I do think that the author could have focused a bit more on the rooms themselves, and less on the logistics and details of how the kids get in and out of the museum. The rooms themselves are so fascinating, and those details were sometimes overshadowed by those mundane details. I also thought the twist with the rooms could have been explored a bit more.
But, really, this is a fun, light story that kids as young as seven or eight would really enjoy. I plan to give my copy to my seven year old son, and I think he will love it.
June 15, 2010
This book was a huge disappointment. I thought the writing was dull and the plot clunky and over-focused on mundane details (a good author knows to just show the interesting and/or relevant details of their character's lives, not go through every day step-by-step). Despite so many different side plots, the pacing was incredibly slow. I mostly kept reading so that I could find out how the magic of the key and the miniature rooms worked, and unless I missed something huge, there wasn't a satisfactory answer at all.
July 12, 2013
I love how this book takes place in Chicago, since I'm from Chicago. I never really knew much about the Thorne Rooms because I'd only seen them once before. Because of this book, the rooms seem more interesting to me. If only that key existed...
May 24, 2018
This book always kept me on edge with suspense the whole time. It was very interesting and I like how the author incorporated a lot of history and the times in each one of the rooms. I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and suspenseful books.
August 7, 2019
This is a great kids / young adult book that everyone can enjoy. I love that it was written by a former art teacher! I read this after visiting the Thorne Rooms. I love Chicago and this made an exciting city seem magical.
September 14, 2021
I’m puzzled by the tepid reviews here. My son had so many questions and ideas as we read this book, and was literally asking me to read it to him morning, noon and night. I loved it too! Looking forward to starting book 2 tomorrow, and of course visiting the Thorne Miniature Rooms again soon…
August 13, 2011
It was an amazing,magical,well written,interesting,can't put it down book!!!
January 7, 2015
i loved this book
February 28, 2016
An interesting kids book that would be good to get a child interested in going to the Art Institute in Chicago.
July 1, 2019
I was obsessed with the description of each room!!
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