“Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom” by David Neilsen

When the mysterious Dr. Fell moves into the abandoned house that had once been the neighborhood kids’ hangout, he immediately builds a playground to win them over. But as the ever-changing play space becomes bigger and more elaborate, the children and their parents fall deeper under the doctor’s spell.
 
Only Jerry, Nancy, and Gail are immune to the lure of his extravagant wonderland. And they alone notice that when the injuries begin to pile up on the jungle gym, somehow Dr. Fell is able to heal each one with miraculous speed. Now the three children must find a way to uncover the doctor’s secret power without being captivated by his trickery.

Neilsen’s Playground of Doom is an afternoon of creepy fun for any middle-grade student!  Full of foreshadowing and subtle context clues, you’ll know that something’s up – but not exactly what.  Dr. Fell’s story is as full of twists and turns as his illustrious playground.

Dr. Fella nd the Playground of Doom is a good-versus-evil story on steroids.  It’s not exactly scary, but it will definitely make a tender reader shiver with the knowing that something bad is on the way.  With unidentified monsters and danger around every turn, pages will fly as readers impatiently fly toward the ending.  Nielsen sprinkles in enough whimsy and fantasy, however, to keep his younger readers from being truly scared. 

While the story is pure fun, there are definitely good talking points within.  Dr. Fell’s Playground causes readers to ask questions like:

• What should you do if you see someone get hurt?
• Should you ever enter a stranger’s house?
• What do you do if an adult makes you uncomfortable?
• Name calling:  What can you do about it?

These are, unfortunately, issues that children need answers to in this day and age, and Dr. Fell’s Playground provides a fun, fantastical way to introduce – or continue – your conversation about these topics. 

Fans of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle might find that Dr. Fell is her evil counterpart, and they’ll delight in comparing both stories.   Kids will revel in the fantastical people, creative solutions, and unusual dwellings of both books.

If your child is ready for a different kind of fantasy, challenge them to play on Dr. Fell’s Playground of Doom.  If s/he dares.

I received a free copy of this book from the author.  All opinions are my own.