Brother Wars the Big Apple

My 6 year old son and I read this book together. It quickly captured our attention, and we could not put the book down after our usual one chapter a night. Instead we read several chapters together each night, finishing the book in three nights.My son and I are avid fans of Steven K. Smith and have read all of the books in the Virginia Mysteries series. This was our first time reading a book from the Brother Wars series. Although we did not read the first two books in the series prior to Brother Wars: The Big Apple, that was not a problem. The Big Apple can easily stand on its own.Brother Wars: The Big Apple is about two brothers, Randy and Harry, who go to stay with their eccentric grandmother, Grandma DeLuca, and her dog, Mr. Muggles, outside of NYC while their parents are working out of town. Grandma DeLuca surprises the boys with a trip into NYC to see her favorite musician. She takes the brothers and her dog into the city only to learn that she mixed up the concert days. Overhearing their predicament, a woman tells the group that the musician is giving a free concert in Central Park that night, but that they need tickets. The woman puts them in touch with her friend, a waitress in Queens, who has tickets. All Grandma DeLuca and the boys need to do is get to Queens, find the woman at her restaurant, get the tickets, and make it back to Central Park in time for the concert. Seems simple enough but not with Grandma DeLuca in charge! A few wrong turns and the group ends up in a seedy part of town at a dive bar where they narrowly escape a criminal gang only to realize that the gang mistakenly took the carrier with Mr. Muggles instead of the money bag that the brothers now have. The gang kidnaps Grandma DeLuca and the brothers have to devise a plan to save her and Mr. Muggles before it is too late. The brothers learn to work together and save the day with some help from unexpected friends.This is an entertaining story that gives a vivid description of NYC. Readers will be entertained and find themselves relating to the main characters in the book. A very enjoyable read that my son and I highly recommend.We received a free advance copy of the Brother Wars: The Big Apple in exchange for our honest review.

My brother and I fight all the time, but we don’t get lost in a city and start fighting.That’s what happens to Harry and his brother Randy. There are a lot of people that they meet along the way including a few theives, an undercover policeman, their grandma, a dog named Mr. Muggles, and some famous people, such as the fictional actor, Robert Colombo! It all started when they had to go to their grandma’s house. Their grandma had a dog named Mr. Muggles, and was obsessed with this singer named Neil Floggins. Her Neil Floggins’ obbsesion led them to the Big Apple, where they were supposed to go to a Neil Floggins’ concert. Then, while they try to find tickets, they get separated from each other! This book takes you down the streets of New York City and will leave you wanting to go to NYC if you haven’t already.

Another fun read!!! Steven delivers again on a fun journey with Harry and Randy. Though written for kids, I always find myself unable to put the book down. I can't wait to share it with my kids, ages 10 and 6. They are going to get a kick out of this Big Apple adventure!!!

Stephen K. Smith has kids and knows how to write for kids. Both his Brothers Wars and Virginia Mystery series books are perfect for elementary and middle school readers. Highly recommended!

This story is a wonderful urban wild ride with two squabbling boys, their zany grandmother and a funny little purse dog. Great adventure, especially for families who know the Big Apple. I especially liked the way the dotty grandma becomes a different person in the eyes of her grandsons by the end of the book. Highly recommended!

This is amazing book with many beautifully created characters and settings. This story could easily happen to two randoms kids that are causing mischief these days in a big city. I would recommend this book for 8 to adult. It was created perfectly and I really enjoyed it.

Interesting book.good story.

From the train ride into Penn Station to the carriage ride in Central Park, if anything can go wrong, it does. The brothers, Randy and Harry, have returned in yet another escapade. The Big Apple is the third book in The Brother Wars series. In this adventure, the two brothers are visiting their 70 year old grandmother in New Jersey. Unknown to the boys, she plans a trip to New York City to watch her favorite rock star from the 60s perform live on the Today Show. She is a bit trendy with her use of Uber and her Smartphone. And, there is Mr. Muggles, her pet dog, who performs crowd pleasing dances throughout the story. However, all does not go according to plan. Harry and Randy find themselves working together to save Grandma from being kidnapped by not so friendly characters. It was delightful to see the two “warring” brothers team together to save Grandma. In the end, they learn some surprising facts about their Grandmother’s past. There are laugh-out-loud funny parts of the story along with some terrifying sections where the boys are indeed in danger. As in his other books, Steven K. Smith has woven mystery and humor into his storytelling. The short chapters end with a sentence full of intrigue that keeps the reader moving ahead to “one more chapter”. I read the book on my Kindle.