''The Gollywhopper Games'' is a

children's novel Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

for readers aged 10 to 14. It was written by Jody Feldman and illustrated by

Victoria Jamieson Victoria Jamieson is an American author and illustrator of children's books, known for her graphic novels. Her most decorated book is '' When Stars Are Scattered,'' co-authored with Omar Mohamed and published in 2019. It is a semi-autobiographi ...

. It has been praised for its interactive games and puzzles. This is Feldman's first novel. It was published in March 2008 by

Greenwillow Books HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Corp ...

, an imprint of

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

Publishers.

Overview

Gil Goodson is one of many contestants in the Golly Toy & Game Company's ultimate competition. If he wins, his dad promised the family can move out of Orchard Heights—away from all the gossip, the false friends, and bad press that have plagued the Goodsons ever since "The Incident". His friends have ditched him, but if he wins, he can start over. Is he ready to begin the wildest most memorable ride of his life?

Reception

Numerous reviewers have praised the novel and its interactive games and puzzles. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' said that "the appeal of the book lies in the puzzles, which involves unscrambling clues hidden in rhyming verses and then tackling various stunts (obstacle courses, mazes, scavenger hunts) that get increasingly difficult as the field is winnowed". '' Kirkus Reviews'' compares it to Eric Berlin's '' The Puzzling World of Winston Breen'' (2007) and Roald Dahl's ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originall ...

(

Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

, 1964) series.

Recognition

''The Gollywhopper Games'' is an American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association Best Books for Young Adult nominated book. It was also chosen as a

Book Sense IndieBound is a marketing movement for independent bookstores launched in 2008 by the American Booksellers Association. With resources targeted for "indie" booksellers, it promotes fiscal localism. IndieBound's curated reading lists include the I ...

Pick, Spring 2008 selection and a Booksense "Book to Watch." It also is a Texas Bluebonnet nominee and a Florida Sunshine State Reader.

External links

Author's website

Author's blog
2008 American novels American children's novels Greenwillow Books books 2008 children's books Puzzle books {{2000s-child-novel-stub