Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature)
Twelve-year-old Daryl Kirby is still in shock from the loss of his entire family when his disreputable orphanage roommate Boris cons him into trying the computer that sits in their bedroom. It only does games, but Daryl is very good at games. His wins result in a whirlwind adoption by Seattle's resident computer-genius billionaire. Shades of Bill Gates? You bet. But this billionaire has futuristic science on his mind, and wafts Daryl off to a mountain eyrie in the Cascades where he joins a select group of other young orphaned geniuses. Daryl immerses himself in brilliant science experiments, but there seems to be a problem developing with his memory . . . . Seidler has always been superb with animals (A Rat's Tale, et al) and his first foray into science fiction is an equally rousing story. For this one, he owes a few debts to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, not to mention Aldous Huxley--and after his dispatchment of the villain Keith Masterly, he may never be welcome in Microsoft country. But hey, Seidler lives safely in New York City. And this is a really terrific read. 2003, Laura Geringer/HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 10 to 14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 18))
Keith Masterly, billionaire software guru, uses his wealth to set up children's shelters equipped with laptops loaded with his own interactive computer games. These allow him to identify brilliant kids whom Masterly then "adopts" and whisks away to his Paradise Lab where they work to discover the secret of stopping time. The lab is both spa and prison to the brilliant young scientists. Darryl and Nina are increasingly doubtful about Paradise Lab, a place with no windows, no communication to the outside world, and required daily doses of pills that have disturbing side effects. Two other kids are determined to find their way into the lab and rescue Darryl and Nina. Lacking the stylistic charm of much of Seidler's other writing, this relies heavily on standard conventions of a child's misplaced guilt over his parents' death and a megalomaniac's quest for eternal youth. Long on action and short on characterization and improbable, even for science fiction, this will nevertheless entertain readers who demand a fast pace and a cinematic, hair-raising but happy ending. 2003, HarperCollins, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 3 to 7. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 6))
Computer-game whiz-kid Darryl has recently lost his family in a tragic fire, and he’s been placed in a youth home financed by wealthy computer genius Keith Masterly. After the boy successfully beats all levels of Masterly’s computer game, MondoGameMaster, Masterly shows up unexpectedly to adopt Darryl. When something seems too good to be true it usually is, and Darryl soon discovers that Masterly doesn’t really want to adopt him but to make him a member of a juvenile think-tank formed to stabilize a molecule that will conquer time--the key ingredient in a chemical fountain of youth. All seems well at first, but Darryl, thanks to think-tank member Nina, realizes that Masterly’s plot is even more nefarious than it seems: once the molecule has been stabilized, Masterly intends to kill all the young scientists and abscond with the formula. While the plot is loaded with contrivance, it moves so fast that it isn’t until it’s over that readers will question it (for example, now that Darryl has a formula for an effective fountain of youth, what will he do with it? What happens to Masterly, who has overdosed on the youth serum and reverted to infancy?). Predictable as the conclusion may be, the happily-ever-after (except the villain) ending is satisfying. Seidler’s main characters have spunk and humanity, even when they’re a bit too saintly, and the affection among them will make readers care about their fates. Young readers fond of techno-fantasy such as the Artemis Fowl series may find this a welcome diversion. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2003, Geringer/Harper Collins, 311p, $17.89 and $16.99. Grades 5-8.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2004)
Insistent BJ, whose librarian mother brings books to computer genius Darryl's orphanage, befriends Darryl and wants to adopt him as his brother. Before this can happen, Darryl is mysteriously whisked away by the nefarious technology king Keith Masterly, leaving BJ bewildered but still persevering. This deliciously conceived plot builds to a rousing denouement in the mountainous terrain of Washington state. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2003, HarperCollins/Geringer, 311pp, $16.99, $17.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Billy Jack Rankin (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 4))
Darryl is a twelve-year-old orphan and is having a hard time adjusting to the orphanage and the loss of his whole family in a tragic house fire. The only thing that he wants to do is play on his GameMaster, and he is a whiz. This orphanage, as well as several others around the country, is owned by the inventor of GameMaster. There are computers in the rooms that have games on them, and Darryl proves his prowess on the one in his room. Only it seems to be far superior to his hand-held version. It is as if you are actually playing against a real antagonist instead of a computer. Darryl finds out the reason behind it when the inventor comes to the orphanage and adopts him. He is taken to MasterTech lab and joins a number of other young whiz kids like himself. There they find themselves in a dangerous video game of real life. This book will really be enjoyed by young readers who like to play video games. The characters in the book, both male and female, are easy to identify with. The action is fast, and the adventure will keep the reader guessing until the last page. This will be a good addition to an upper elementary and/or middle school collection. Fiction. Grades 3-8. 2003, Laura Geringer Books, 311p., $17.89. Ages 8 to 14.

Timothy Capehart (VOYA, October 2003 (Vol. 26, No. 4))
Thirteen-year-old Darryl Kirby feels responsible for the deaths of everyone in his extended family after he survives the fire that took their lives. He ends up in an orphanage bankrolled by videogame billionaire Keith Masterly, where his only solace is in the very games Masterly creates. After acing a particular game on a computer monitored by the videogame company, Masterly himself shows up to adopt Darryl. That "adoption" lands him in Masterly's secret laboratory, a think tank full of child geniuses. Masterly wants to develop a compound to reverse the aging process. The think tankers are well cared for, but they are given "vitamins" that keep them docile. Darryl and his new friend, Nina, hatch a plan to escape, but their ultimate deliverance comes in a rousing climax they never could have foreseen. Although the pseudo-science is, at times, wrong in light of current scientific knowledge, Seidler's suspenseful story and fast pacing will keep the pages turning in this surprisingly quick read. The characters are well drawn, and there is quite a bit of humor. The title might turn off some of the potential audience, but reassure science-adventure fans that they have an excellent read before them. Unfortunate title aside, fans of Sleator and Vande Velde will be right at home. PLB $17.89. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, HarperCollins, 320p, $16.99. Ages 11 to 15.