13 Hangmen
Art Corriveau
Amulet Books/juvenile fiction
Release Date: April 1, 2012
“Some people won’t believe any of this story. You might be one of them. But every single word is true. Tony DiMarco does catch a murderer, solve a mystery, and find a treasure—all in the first few days after he moves, unexpectedly, to 13 Hangmen’s Court in Boston. The fact that he also turns thirteen at the same time is not a coincidence.”
So begins the story of Tony and his friends—five 13-year-old boys, all of whom are living in the same house in the same attic bedroom but at different times in history! None are ghosts, all are flesh and blood, and somehow all have come together in the attic room, visible only to one another. And all are somehow linked to a murder, a mystery, and a treasure.
This book was great! I kind of wanted it to be longer because I liked the story so much. I love when a writer links science and fantasy, and I love when a writer links history and fantasy. For Corriveau to link all three was really exciting for me.
In the book we find out the stories of each of the boys and how they all have one big connection. We learn How Angelo Saved Ted William’s Red Sox Career, How Solly Saved 13 Hangmen Court with a Ring, How Finn Helped Honey Fitzgerald Get Reelected as Mayor, How Jack Saved William Lloyd Garrison’s Life, How Tobias Rescued Paul Reveres Treasure, and how Tony solved a mystery that will change everybody’s lives forever.
This is ultimately fiction although there are several elements that have quite a bit of historical basis. So I thought it was neat that there was a What’s Story, What’s History chapter in the back that for me just had some interesting little facts but for younger children will probably clear up a lot of things.
My verdict: Read it! I think this book is good for kids about 9+. There’s nothing in here a nine year old wouldn’t understand, except for maybe a few ancient native American words (but there’s only a few of those). On the other hand, it would be perfectly fine for an adult as just a quick little read.
