The Sixty-Eight Rooms As someone who has lived in Chicago over the years and loved spending countless hours in the cities wonderful museums I was very curious about Sixty Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone. The story reminds me of a cross between Magic Tree House books and The Mixed Up Files of Basil E Frankweiler. Two middle schoolers, Ruthie and Jack, have been friends forever- sorry... there is no romance here... They go on a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and view the famous miniature Thorne Rooms. A magic key allows the two to shrink (think the Borrowers) and they are able to really get a good look at the rooms and solve a mystery in the meantime. This will appeal more to girls than boys (even though there is a giant cockroach) and it will be a good fit for younger audiences 8 and up. Fun and a good mix of borrowed ideas from other great books-
