By: Jamie Steinberg
What would you do if you lost the ability to sleep? Such is the quandary for Kaz Jakobsen after eating/drinking the perfect combination to make him a “Sleepless One.” Hoping to cure his wide awake nights and endless boredom, Kaz attends a sleep lab at a local hospital where he meets Floyd – a boy his age who also has sleep issues. In the young adult read Midnight Mayhem, the two team up to cure night boredom and the adventures that ensue will have middle grade readers giggling and turning pages to find out what happens next.
Eleven-year-old Kaz is new in town thanks to his father’s new job. The family has a Sunday ritual where they go out for brunch and this time they’ve gone to Beigel’s Bagels. When Mr. Beigel offers Kaz a taste of his “Hairy Chest Mustard,” Kaz takes one bite and is overwhelmed. Hoping to tame the intensity Kaz orders a rootbeer float. Big mistake! The combination turns out to cause insomnia and now Kaz is up all night, every night. His parents take him to a sleep clinic to see if they can figure out the cause of Kaz’s insomnia. That is where Kaz meets Floyd, a kid his age who only requires one to two hours of sleep at night. Both boys find themselves completely bored in the evenings since no one else is awake. The two team-up to try and figure out activities to fight off the duldrums for all those who are up at all hours. This partnership takes the two on wild outings that would kick boredom to the curb and also cure Kaz of being lonely.
Author Christina Uss does an exceptional job at crafting an investable tale where you want Kaz to put a stop to his sleepless nights and find a new friend. Although, halfway through you start to wish Kaz and Floyd could roam the streets of Philadelpia nightly looking for more fun and mischief. While that isn’t a realistic idea for two eleven-year-olds, Uss’ actual solution for this is pretty satisfactory.
Midnight Mayhem is a fun read that most middle grade young-adult readers are sure to enjoy. There are wild animals, cheese fries, ghosts and airplane crashes that will keep them invested, along with the friendship formed by Kaz and Floyd. If you struggle with your own sleep problems, grab a copy of Midnight Mayhem to see if it takes more than coffee mixed with mayo or Brain Waves to help you catch a few winks.