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A series of crazy things happen to 12-year-old Pete Riley, starting with a strange telephone message, then a rumbling of the earth, followed by the magical appearance of a two-storey house with an alligator-shaped iron knocker.
Pete should know better than to interfere. Being the problematic scamp that he is, and despite his aunt warning him to stay away, he cannot resist! So he decides to investigate. From this point onwards, there is never a dull moment!
Everything about this story is charming, ...more
Pete should know better than to interfere. Being the problematic scamp that he is, and despite his aunt warning him to stay away, he cannot resist! So he decides to investigate. From this point onwards, there is never a dull moment!
Everything about this story is charming, ...more

I appreciate that I'm way outside of the target audience for this book, so I'm going to rate it as if I'd read it 60-some years ago. As a kid, I'm sure I would've loved it. Witches, talking alligators, a smelly swamp and a prank-pulling 12-year old who has to come to the rescue? What kid wouldn't love it?
As an adult, I also like that the writing is good and the author doesn't dumb down the vocabulary and may, in fact, teach kids a few new words. There's also a satisfying underlying tale of conse ...more
As an adult, I also like that the writing is good and the author doesn't dumb down the vocabulary and may, in fact, teach kids a few new words. There's also a satisfying underlying tale of conse ...more

What happens when you mix witches and warlocks, a mansion and alligators, mental telepathy and two twelve-year-old boys on a mission? You end up with an adventure, a mystery, a cast of unique characters, and a whole new attitude about alligators, that’s what.
ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD, Author C. Lee McKenzie’s novel for mg/tween readers, takes the reader on a fast paced, never dull journey with Peter Riley and his friend Weasel in their attempts to save the Ornofree Swamp from being destroyed. On the w ...more
ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD, Author C. Lee McKenzie’s novel for mg/tween readers, takes the reader on a fast paced, never dull journey with Peter Riley and his friend Weasel in their attempts to save the Ornofree Swamp from being destroyed. On the w ...more

Pete's bored, but life is about to get a lot more interesting and all starts with a dream. Haunted mansions, witches, alligator's all mixed with local hi-jinx. along with greedy developers, and a city council that may or may not have the community's best interest at heart. I was intrigued by the title and I was not disappointed. The story delivered, very imaginative and unusual take on alligator's with lots of adventure and trouble, Definitely worth a read.
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Sep 04, 2012
Bish Denham
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-lit
This is a very enjoyable read. It's got a swamp, alligators, witches, and plenty of mysterious happenings. What more could you want? Oh yeah, a boy who seems to be always getting into trouble, it's got that too. But is the trouble he gets into always HIS fault? You'll have to read this charming and humorous story to find out.
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Jul 16, 2013
Yvonne Ventresca
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult

Mar 05, 2018
Mary Aalgaard
marked it as to-read

Mar 07, 2018
Diane Burton
marked it as to-read

Mar 18, 2018
Toi Thomas
marked it as to-read