Horton Haffpott is a kitchen boy washing dishes for a wealthy family, and things go wacky when the mistress decides to loosen up a bit, starting with her corset. Things start disappearing and Horton is the fall guy; however, he and his few friends manage to thwart a kidnapping and solve the crime. This young adult novel is best left for truly young adults. ( )

Children's fiction; boy-friendly humor. I didn't have time to finish this but I wholeheartedly recommend anything from Tom Angleberger, especially where reluctant male readers are concerned. The protagonist here is Horton Halfpott, a lowly kitchen servant; most of the rest of the characters in the grand house where he works are treated irreverently and with great humor. Unlike "Origami Yoda" this book doesn't have the "easy reading" appeal of the "Wimpy Kid" books, but with any luck kids will get hooked and keep reading anyway. Stretch vocabulary words are sprinkled throughout: this gets a thumbs up from me. ( )

Fun, and silly in a Roald Dahl kind of way.

I didn't quite know what to expect going into this book (except that I loved the title), but I was absolutely blown way. Hilariously written with short chapters, this book pokes fun at Dickensian literature (just look at the character names) and tells a fabulous story. The illustrations and title beginnings with "In which..." add to the book's quirky delights and mystery. Students who have read the Origami Yoda series and want something more should really enjoy this book. Also fans of the Series of Unfortunate events. ( )

"There are so many exciting things in this book - a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a Valuable Wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled Evil, and the Black Deeds of the Shipless Pirates - that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies' underwear."

But it was because of ladies' underwear - the corset of M'Lady Luggertuck - that the whole story begins.

This is the story of Horton Halfpott, the good and kind kitchen boy, who doesn't deserve the treatment that befalls him, but still manages to remain the kind person he is, while rescuing a damsel in distress, showing that kind manners pays off in the end, and thwarting an evil plan, while helping to solve a puzzling mystery of strange thefts with the help of his three friends.

Not only is this book funny and entertaining, it also paints a satirical picture of the social classes, especially between servants and owners/lords & ladies, while showing that not all is what it seems.

One of the things I will note however, just for future readers, is that the author is writing the tale as if to readers of the M'Lady Luggertuck series of adventures. This is a fictional series of books or accounts of M'Lady Luggertuck, hence the part of the title of "The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset". There are many events in which the author will refer to such as "M'Lady Lugertuck and the Yule Log" or "M'Lady Luggertuck and the Unlucky Cobbler". These are not real books, but refer to fictional books or stories, just to warn those who are curious and question where they might find these interesting "books".

On the whole, I would totally recommend this for any adult or child. The writing style is easy to understand without "dumbing" it down for younger children. It also has a nice flow to it, which makes reading it aloud quite pleasant, especially if done in a faux-British accent, though it does seem like a tongue-twister if you are not a pro with a faux-British accent. ( )