We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

Home Sweet Motel
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(3)
4 star
 
(1)
3 star
 
(0)
2 star
 
(0)
1 star
 
(0)
Series:
Published:
Random House Children's Books 2016
Accelerated Reader:
IL: MG - BL: 4.5 - AR Pts: 6
Lexile measure:
690L
Status:
Checked Out
Description
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!

 
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
 
They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.’s middle name. With Gloria’s smarts and P.T.’s world-famous stories and schemes, there’s got to be a way to save the Wonderland!
 
BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie’s outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say “Help! The toilet is clogged!” in over twenty languages!
Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!
* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award *  
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
"So funny I fell off my bed!"—Izzy B., age 10
"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein’s “Mr. Lemoncello” followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."—School Library Journal

“A  delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . .  threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."—Kirkus Reviews 

“Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland’s promised fun in the sun.”The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books  
Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
10/04/2016
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780553536041
ASIN:
B01AERZTEU
Accelerated Reader:
MG
Level 4.5, 6 Points
Lexile measure:
690
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Chris Grabenstein. (2016). Home Sweet Motel: Home Sweet Motel. Random House Children's Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Chris Grabenstein. 2016. Home Sweet Motel: Home Sweet Motel. Random House Children's Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Chris Grabenstein, Home Sweet Motel: Home Sweet Motel. Random House Children's Books, 2016.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Chris Grabenstein. Home Sweet Motel: Home Sweet Motel. Random House Children's Books, 2016.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection10
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
e4798235-95af-c971-5f2a-1541511bf51a
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 17:34:22
Date Updated:
Apr 08, 2023 11:38:33
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 24, 2024 08:59:51
Last Metadata Change:
Jun 04, 2023 13:04:04
Last Availability Check:
Mar 24, 2024 08:59:53
Last Availability Change:
Mar 22, 2024 19:44:01
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 28, 2024 02:11:39

OverDrive Product Record

readingOrder
1
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0111-1/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0111-1/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0111-1/C68/DA0/8D/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0111-1/C68/DA0/8D/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780553536041
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01AERZTEU
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780553536041
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780553536058
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Chris Grabenstein
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Home Sweet Motel
seriesId
609534
dateAdded
2016-09-29T20:56:00Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=2663852
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Home Sweet Motel Welcome to Wonderland Series Book 01
crossRefId
2663852
series
Welcome to Wonderland
subtitle
Home Sweet Motel
id
C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01
starRating
4.2

OverDrive MetaData

interestLevel
MG
isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: HomeSweetMotel_9780553536041_2663852
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 39992910
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780553536041
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 0
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 10/4/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=c68da08d-ed7c-4186-8060-dfa5b6b63a01&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: HomeSweetMotel_2663852
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B01AERZTEU
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 10/4/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=c68da08d-ed7c-4186-8060-dfa5b6b63a01&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: HomeSweetMotel_9780553536041_2663852
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 36279532
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780553536041
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 250928
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 10/4/2016
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=c68da08d-ed7c-4186-8060-dfa5b6b63a01&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: chapter books for kids age 8-10
      • value: summer books
      • value: 5th grade reading books
      • value: kids books ages 9-12
      • value: 3rd grade reading books
      • value: 4th grade reading books
      • value: books for kids age 9 12
      • value: books for 11 year old boys
      • value: books for 12 year old boys
      • value: books for 9 year old boys
      • value: books for 11 year old girls
      • value: books for 12 year old girls
      • value: books for 9 year old girls
      • value: chapter books for kids age 9-12
      • value: books for 10 year old girls
      • value: books for 10 year old boys
      • value: boys books for ages 9-12
      • value: preteen books
      • value: 5th grade reading list
      • value: 6th grade reading list
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Grabenstein, Chris
      • bioText: Chris Grabenstein is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics, and The Island of Dr. Librisand has coauthored numerous bestselling books with James Patterson, including the I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters series and Jacky Ha-Ha. Chris grew up going to St. Petersburg, Florida, every summer and loved visiting roadside attractions like Gatorland, the fabulous Tiki Gardens, Weeki Wachee Springs, and the “talking mermaids” at Webb’s City. You can visit Chris at chrisgrabenstein.com. And look for Welcome to Wonderland #2: Beach Party Surf Monkey in May 2017!
      • name: Chris Grabenstein
imprint
Random House Books for Young Readers
publishDate
2016-10-04T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Home Sweet Motel
fullDescription
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!

 
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
 
They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.’s middle name. With Gloria’s smarts and P.T.’s world-famous stories and schemes, there’s got to be a way to save the Wonderland!
 
BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie’s outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say “Help! The toilet is clogged!” in over twenty languages!
Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!
* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award *  
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
"So funny I fell off my bed!"—Izzy B., age 10
"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein’s “Mr. Lemoncello” followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."—School Library Journal

“A  delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . .  threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."—Kirkus Reviews 

“Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland’s promised fun in the sun.”The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books  
seriesId
609534
gradeLevels
      • value: Grade 3
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Booklist
      • content: Here's what people are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!

        *Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * South Carolina Book Award Nominee * Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee * Winner of Sid Fleischman Humor Award (for Book 1, Home, Sweet, Motel)

        "Delivers humor, adventure . . . and plenty of fun in the Florida sun."
      • premium: False
      • source: School Library Journal
      • content: "Classic Grabenstein. This new series should be a HIT."
      • premium: False
      • source: Kirkus Reviews
      • content: "A delight. P.T. is a HOOT AND A HALF. A funny, madcap dash."
      • premium: False
      • source: The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
      • content: "Charm galore. EASY and BREEZY. . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland's promised fun in the sun."
      • premium: False
      • source: Kidsday, Newsday
      • content: "The story makes you want to read MORE."
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        August 8, 2016
        Wisecracking 12-year-old P.T. Wilkie loves the Wonderland Motel in Florida, where he lives with his business-minded mother and fun-loving, fast-talking grandfather, who originally opened the motel. P.T. takes after his grandfather, who has a gift for tall tales and affection for the “zany decorations” adorning the property, but it’s going to take more than wild stories to save the financially troubled Wonderland. Enter Gloria Ortega, who checks into the hotel with her father and shares her business smarts with P.T., leading to money-making ventures that include karaoke performances featuring the motel’s frog-shaped waterslide. When two elderly jewel thieves show up to find diamonds they lost at Wonderland decades earlier, P.T. and Gloria realize that this could be their chance to save Wonderland. Lumberjanes contributor Allen’s lively cartoons are a perfect fit for Grabenstein’s (Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics) quirky, upbeat romp, which is filled with mystery, danger, and laughs. P.T.’s longing for his absent father and his unflagging optimism make him a sympathetic narrator that will leave readers looking forward to the next installment in this new series. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Eric Myers, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        July 15, 2016
        A precocious middle schooler saves his family's Florida motel.P.T. Wilkie has never had any trouble living up to his namesake, Barnum. He loves to spin a tall tale and be the center of attention. Unfortunately this skill hasn't brought any attention to his family's motel, the Wonderland, which has been struggling to survive since his grandfather Walt opened it in the 1970s. When the bank demands full payment on a balloon loan, P.T. and his new friend, Gloria Ortega, have to come up with $100,000 by the end of the month or lose the Wonderland forever. The ensuing schemes and wheeling and dealing are a delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half, smart, determined, and dedicated to his family in a refreshing way. TV-reporter daughter Gloria, with her financial smarts, brushes up against the line of being a bit too much for readers to swallow, but Grabenstein infuses her with the right amount of spunk to be endearing. (From her last name and cover depiction as dark-skinned, readers are likely to infer that she is Latina.) With this pair supported by a cast of (mostly) fully realized characters and a lovingly rendered location, the narrative springs to life as a funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein avoids an episodic feel and threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top. A funny and promising start to a new series. (Mystery. 8-12)

        COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • premium: True
      • source: School Library Journal
      • content:

        August 1, 2016

        Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old P.T. Wilkie narrates this series starter. He lives at the Wonderland Motel in St. Pete's Beach, FL. His grandfather, Walt, founded the hotel in 1970 and did well until another Walt opened Disney World a year later. The Wilkies have been struggling to remain open ever since. P.T. always looks on the bright side. He doesn't push his single mom about who his dad is, he's close to his grandfather, and he thinks motel living, with its free ice cream and housekeeping, is just great. He's also an irrepressible storyteller, much to the chagrin of his neighbor and history teacher, Mr. Frumpkes. Unfortunately, his idyllic life is about to change in a month's time, thanks to a balloon loan coming due. His mom and grandpa need to come up with $100,000. The only way to do that is to sell the Wonderland to a sleazy developer. P.T. joins forces with Gloria Ortiz, a guest who happens to be a business whiz. As the two listen to Mr. Wilkie's tales about the early days of the Wonderland, they come up with a series of money-making ideas to save it. Complicating matters are a pair of elderly brothers who are not what they appear to be. This is classic Grabenstein-there are lots of sly asides and a tongue-in-cheek tone; a spirited, wise-guy hero in P.T.; a fast pace that edges a bit over-the-top; a vividly kitschy setting; and cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations throughout. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein's "Mr. Lemoncello" followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. VERDICT This new series should be a hit among a variety of readers.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

        Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        August 1, 2016
        Grades 4-6 It doesn't look good for the Wonderland, an aging Florida motel with plenty of vacancies, some decrepit amusement-park statues, and a $100,000 bank loan coming due in 30 days. The foreclosure news jolts 11-year-old P. T. After all, his grandfather opened the motel way back in 1970. His single mother manages it now, and it's not just their workplace; it's their home. Better known for telling tall tales than for getting things done, P. T. teams up with Grandpa and Gloria, a financial whiz kid, to carry out several get-rich-quick schemes to save the Wonderland. In the end, the key to solvency turns out to be an even more unlikely outwit-the-stupid-crooks-and-collect-the-reward subplot. This appealing chapter book offers an original setting, a mystery, and some colorful characters. Illustrated with cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations, complete with speech balloons, P. T.'s very readable first-person narrative has a comic tone reminiscent of Jacky Ha-Ha (2016), which Grabenstein cowrote with James Patterson. More adventures and fun are sure to follow in the Wonderland series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Sharing spotlights with Patterson has paid off for Grabenstein: a month-by-month promo plan hitting everything from trade shows to summer camps will keep this in the spotlight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

popularity
1177
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/c68da08d-ed7c-4186-8060-dfa5b6b63a01/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
c68da08d-ed7c-4186-8060-dfa5b6b63a01
starRating
4.2
readingOrder
1
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0111-1/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0111-1/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0111-1/C68/DA0/8D/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0111-1/C68/DA0/8D/{C68DA08D-ED7C-4186-8060-DFA5B6B63A01}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Juvenile Fiction
      • value: Juvenile Literature
      • value: Humor (Fiction)
publishDateText
10/04/2016
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780553536058
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription
“Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity—five-stars!” —Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!

 
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There’s only one thing the Wonderland doesn’t have, though—customers. And if the Wonderland doesn’t get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
 
...
sortTitle
Home Sweet Motel Welcome to Wonderland Series Book 01
lexileScore
690
crossRefId
2663852
series
Welcome to Wonderland
subtitle
Home Sweet Motel
publisher
Random House Children's Books
atos
4.5
bisacCodes
      • code: JUV001000
      • description: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
      • code: JUV019000
      • description: Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories
      • code: JUV039060
      • description: Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship