I liked this story about a family that lives in a motel. The storyteller is the owner’s grandson, P.T. Wilkie (he was named after P.T. Barnum or is that another of his stories?) P. T. Wilkie is a born storyteller. He has not just an excuse for everything that he does or that happens, he has detailed in depth characters and plots and can go on like a politician philabustering in any given situation. The stories he tells are wild and fun and he somehow makes them all believable even though you know some of the stuff he goes on about honestly would not be possible (ie. riding a crocodile off the second floor of the motel). He doesn’t let people’s doubting his stories deter him, he will go on and give you all the reasons why it is plausible and so, even though it is clearly outlandish and pretty much impossible. He is such a likeable young man (pre-teen) that most people are taken with him and his delivery, except for one particularly snarly teacher he has. There are loads of stories and lots of action here. His grandfather, Walt Wilkie opened the Wonderland Motel with a pirate putt-putt golf course and lots of huge 25 ft. standing figures and statuary he salvaged from outside muffler places and restaurants back in the 1970s when he opened his motel in Orlando, Florida before that other Walt with the mouse opened his place in 1973. There was even a miniature railroad that ran on a track back in the early days of the motel that took tourists all around the grounds. During those early days before Grandpa met Grandma he had his heart stolen by a beautiful girl who just loved to ride the train every day while she was staying there. It comes to light under the careful eyes of P. T. and his new friend who’s father recently rented them long-term accommodations at the Wonderland, that there may have been something shady that occurred there during those early days and is a mystery to be solved, thanks to P.T.’s avid t.v. watching and amateur sleuthing. A shady banker working with an even shadier realtor wants to get control of the property the Wonderland sets on to make it into condos. P.T., his friends, his Mom and his Grandpa all team up to keep the Wonderland against ominous odds and financial extremes. More shady characters enter and a tour de force comes into play in a surprising finish. Well written and I kept picturing P.T. as a young Christian Slater in my mind. Very well done. A good story for all ages.
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