Gil Goodson had a pretty good life prior to The Incident. During and after his father was accused of stealing money from his employer, the Golly Toy and Game Company, everything changed - kids were mean, his family was stressed, and although his dad was cleared, no one seemed to get past it. The Gollywhoppers Games offered Gil a way out. He got his dad to agree to relocate if Gil won the game!
National attention is focused on the games as 25,000 teenagers competing in a stadium-wide trivia game whittle down to select few who must compete as a team, and then as individuals. Gil created notebooks which he studied on the company, its founder, and the products it created. He must also solve riddles and stunts faster than everyone to move his way toward the finish line as the events are televised for all to see.
To get a vibe for this story, think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Amazing Race. Once in the elite group, the challenges are written for the reader to play along. As a teacher, post the riddles on a walk or to your website for the kids to spend some time breaking down the code to solve along with Gil. Other books that feature sections where a reader can "play along" with the character include Chasing Vermeer and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
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