Welcome to the Amazing Automated Inn, home of twelve-year-old inventor Wally Kennewickett, his genius scientist parents, and his dashing dog, Noodles. From the lightning harvester on the roof to the labs full of experiments in the dungeon, the inn is a wonderful place for a curious boy and his loyal dog to live. That is, until President Theodore Roosevelt himself calls the elder Kennewicketts away, leaving Wally and Noodles to face the evil mesmers, horrible hypnotists bent on controlling the minds of powerful people. It seems the inn is their first stop on the way to world domination . . . and only an ingenious boy, a staff of automatons, and a brave dachshund stand in their way! AGES: 9 up AUTHOR: Kersten Hamilton is the author of several picture books and many novels, including the acclaimed YA paranormal trilogy 'The Goblin Wars'. When she's not writing, she hunts dinosaurs in the deserts and badlands near Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives. For more about Kersten, please visit www.kerstenhamilton.com. REVIEWS: "Fast paced and funny, with plenty of alliteration and word definitions provided by Noodles, it carries hints of both Lemony Snicket's wordplay and the absurdity of M. T. Anderson's Pals in Peril series. . . . Young, precocious readers and older readers looking for a shorter read will enjoy this first title in the Gadgets and Gears series." Booklist Illustrated ALL TITLES IN THIS GADGETS AND GEARS: Bk 1 HB 9780547905686 Mesmer Menace Bk 1 PB 9780544439344 Mesmer Menace Bk 2 HB 9780544225022 Ire of Iron Claw Bk 2 HB 9780544668546 Ire of Iron Claw (07/16)