The Somebodies by N.E. Bode Ages 9-12 288 pages HarperCollins September 2006 Hardcover     Imagine a whole city existing beneath the streets New York City. We’re not talking underground hideaways for those poor, lonely, and truly homeless individuals that speckle such a large metropolis, but a real city complete with a castle, hotel, dry cleaners, and flying elevators. Welcome to the world of the Anybodies, masterfully imagined into life by N.E. Bode through several novels. Taking some of the most imaginative ideas from books that have become classics in our world, the Anybodies have created a city-beneath-the-city in which these creations come to life. Fern, now a royal over the Anybodies, has her first experience in the Underground City while answering an invitation to a very special conference. But things go wrong from the very beginning. Fern knows she will be battling the horrific Blue Queen and needs to save the souls of books, Anybodies, and all the rest of us mediocre people who live above the Underground City. Fern and Howard (her best friend, who dreams of being an accountant) must avoid the Secret Society of Somebodies while running crazy through the Underground City on their mission against the Blue Queen. But what can two kids, very new to the Anybody world, do against such a powerful foe? As it turns out, they are not alone. Fern and Howard do find help among the Anybodies littering the Underground City. Now the question becomes: will it be enough? N.E. Bode's creative genius makes another slam hit. The story is well-written and features several especially imaginative moments that will keep kids laughing and intrigued throughout the whole read. A few hiccups in following the characters and the Anybody world established in previous books occur along the way, but it doesn’t take horribly long to put the pieces together. It's not always easy to find books that make children want to turn off the television and video games and curl up with a good book. N.E. Bode proves to his target audience that reading can be a real pleasure, even if it is just goofy fun. I found comparisons here to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone, successful series that young readers and young adults both enjoy. If your children are fond of those series, they would probably find Bode’s series - including The Somebodies - to be a good read.     web reviews   Sonia R. Polinsky/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)