Tyler Whitesides - Janitors

32. Janitors by Tyler Whitesides (2011)
The Janitors Series Book 1
Length: 307 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Started: 10 September 2013
Finished: 13 September 2013
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Cheryl at Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 5 August 2013
Why do I have it? I like fantasy and Tyler Whitesides is a new author for me.

Having just arrived in the small town of Welcher, twelve-year-old Spencer Zumbro is still trying to get used to being the new kid in school. As the oldest child in a family of five, Spencer can barely find a moment of peace for himself - especially when his three-year-old brother Max can usually be found either hiding in Spencer's closet, ready to surprise him, or jumping on his older brother's bed while wearing sneakers. Spencer sometimes feels like he's the only tidy one in his whole family - he puts his dirty clothes in the hamper, cleans up any food he spills, and okay, so maybe he's just the slightest bit germophobic - but doesn't everybody wash their hands ten to fifteen times a day?

When the class bully - Dez Riley - writes on his face during algebra class, Spencer is in for a bigger shock than his sudden bout of inexplicable drowsiness. The mysterious pink soap he uses to wash his face, causes his skin to tingle and burn; although it certainly takes care of the black marker quickly. Suddenly, Spencer starts seeing weird creatures in his classroom and all around Welcher Elementary School: bat-like creatures rummaging through trashcans in the lunchroom, dust gophers foraging beside bookcases, and salamanders frolicking in the drinking fountain!

The strangest thing is that nobody else seems to see the creatures - nobody, that is, except the janitors of Welcher Elementary School. Spencer starts to suspect that the janitors know a secret that no one else does. He doesn't know how close to the truth he actually is: the creatures - known as Toxites - feed off the brainwaves of students, slowly draining their intelligence and replacing it with apathy, fatigue and inattention.

Now, with the help of fellow classmate Daisy 'Gullible' Gates - another one of Dez's frequent targets - Spencer must fight with and against a secret janitorial society that wields wizard-like powers. But who can Spencer and Daisy trust and how will they protect their school and ultimately the world? The Battle for Education has begun!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are extremely likable, and the story teaches truly valuable lessons about friendship, honesty, and standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of ridicule. I give this book an A! and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series; Janitors: Secrets of New Forest Academy.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often