The Fourth Stall

The Fourth Stall
Chris Rylander
HarperCollins, 2011 314 pages
Grades 4-6
Realistic Fiction

Sixth-grade Mac and his best friend Vince run an important business out of an abandoned bathroom in their elementary school. They solve problems for their classmates for either a fee or a favor. The partners have their fingers in every pot of the school and are able to make pretty much anything happen. Even the school bullies will work for them for a price. One day a complicated situation arises that puts Mac and Vince to the test. A younger boy is being hassled by a high school legendary bully named Staples, who is running a gambling operation. Turns out, much of the elementary school population is in debt to Staples and needs Mac and Vince's help. The problem is, Staples is elusive and hard to nail down and has teen thugs working for and protecting him. Trying to bring down Staples is taking away from business as usual and costing the partners much needed funds that have been put aside to purchase tickets when the Cubbies finally make it to the World Series. Finally, the pressure takes its toll on the friendship and threatens to destroy the whole business altogether. Will the boys resolve their differences and ban together to take Staples down? And who is the rat who is spying on them and reporting to the enemy?

Rylander's debut novel is an easy sell to older elementary school boys. In fact the three books in the series have become so popular in my library I was forced to buy an extra copy of this first installment. Yes, the morals displayed in this book may not be the best.  The heroes essentially run a mafia ring out of the school bathroom and most of the student body is gambling, getting their hands on things their adults disapprove of, and cheating. At their core Mac and Vince aren't that bad and have a lot of heart. They help kids for free whom they deem worthy, are loyal friends, and at least pay bullies for services rendered. Readers will enjoy watching our protagonists beat the system and gain control over an environment generally orchestrated by adults. Mac's first person account is entertaining and reminiscent of a 1940's noir potboiler. There is an element of mystery to the story as readers attempt to discern the identity of the snitch, which will help keep pages turning. The mystery is satisfactorily solved by book's end, the enemy/bully's intentions are displayed in a confession scene worthy of a Scooby Doo episode, and a heroic showdown proves Mac and Vince are as fearless as they are mercenary. Although a bit long in length for reluctant readers and with no illustrations to lure them in, the zippy plot, gentle humor and unique characters make this a sure-fire hit for fans of Gordon Korman or Stuart Gibbs.