Hulme and Wexler turn the intelligent design concept on its ear in their children's book debut, a kickoff to The Seems series. The premise: everything that happens in our world, from falling in love to the weather to time itself, is controlled by The Seems—“the place on the other side of the World responsible for generating what you see outside your window right now.” Twelve-year-old Becker Drane lives a double life, secretly working for the Institute for Fixing & Repair; when something goes wrong in The Seems, “Fixers” put the cosmic cogs back in working order. Becker's first mission as a Fixer is a doozy—find the glitch in the Department of Sleep that has turned everyone in the world into an insomniac. The authors use the conceit to the fullest, creating a complex and intricate world with a sometimes daunting array of gadgets, bureaucracy, vocabulary and capitalization (a glossary is included—and welcome). These details don't become overwhelming, fortunately, thanks to the book's consistently lighthearted tone (the Department of Sleep's radio station, WDOZ, broadcasts tracks like “The Hum of the Air Conditioner [Remix]” into humans' subconscious minds). The high sense of adventure and an abundance of goofball humor should appeal especially to boys. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

From Publishers Weekly Children's Book Reviews: Week of 10/8/2007 - 10/8/2007

•  September 20th, 5-8 pm, Over the Moon Toys, Highland Park, NJ
•  October 1st, Books, Inc, 1501 Vermont Street, San Francisco, CA & 1375 Burlingame Avenue, Burlingame, CA http://www.booksinc.net
•  October 2nd, Copperfield's, 3900-A Bel Aire Plaza, Napa, CA & 138 North Main Street, Sebastopol, CA http://copperfields.booksense.com
•  October 3rd, Book Passages, 51 Tamal Vista Boulevard, Corte Madera, CA http://www.bookpassage.com
•  October 3rd, 3 pm, Hicklebee's, 1378 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA http://www.hicklebees.com
•  October 4th, University of Washington Bookstore, 4326 University Way, Seattle, WA
•  October 4th, time TBA, Kid's Quest Museum, 4091 Factoria Blvd. SE, Bellevue, WA
•  October 4th & 5th times TBD, Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way Northeast, Lake Forest Park, WA http://www.thirdplacebooks.com
•  October 5th, All for Kids, 2900 Northeast Blakeley Street, Seattle, WA http://www.allforkidsbooks.com
•  October 6th, 1-3 pm, Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way Northeast, Lake Forest Park, WA http://www.thirdplacebooks.com
•  October 29th, Magic Tree, 141 North Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL http://www.magictreebookstore.com
•  October 30th, The Book Stall, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL http://www.thebookstall.com
•  November 1st, Anderson's 123 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, IL http://www.andersonsbookshop.com
•  November 4th, 2 pm, Barnes & Noble, 869 Route 1 South North Brunswick, NJ
•  November 8th, Thursday at 5:00pm, Books of Wonder 18 W 18th St., New York, NY 10011 (212) 989-3270 www.booksofwonder.net

THE SEEMS: The Glitch in Sleep
"“Reality,” as we understand it, is a lie. Contrary to popular belief, a mysterious realm called The Seems has always maintained the world in which we live. Time, weather, dreams, colors and everything we perceive around us originates there, and earnest 12-year-old recruit Becker Drane is now The Seems’s youngest Fixer. Fixers go about mending damages to various elements so as to keep the world running smoothly. How unfortunate, then, that the boy’s first job may lead to the end of reality itself—if he happens to screw up. There’s a glitch in the production of sleep, and Earth is currently beset by worldwide insomnia. Becker soon learns through trial and error that mistakes happen, and that working through them is sometimes the only way to get out of a sticky situation. Metaphors and turns of phrase take on new meanings without feeling overdone in this engaging title. The authors have a firm grasp on the potential complexity of their world, and the end result can only be described as fun." --Kirkus Reviews

http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/magazine/childrens.jsp

The Seems was named an Autumn Book Sense Children's Pick.

http://news.bookweb.org/booksense/5468.html