about the book
Sixth-grader Mac has a real knack for problem-solving. His pal, Vince, is a financial genius. Together, the two are running their own business out of the boys’ bathroom—the fourth stall from the window. They charge schoolmates for test answers, loans, protection against bullies, and solving personal conflicts.
Sometimes they have to break the rules, and they do it right under the noses of the clueless teachers and school administrators! But business is really booming. It’s so good that the boys have almost enough cash to buy tickets to see the Cubs play in the World Series!
But then Fred, a third grader, comes to Mac with a story about how he is being threatened by the legendary drop-out and neighborhood crime boss, Staples. What’s worse, it turns out that Staples is expanding his intramural gambling ring into Mac’s territory! Even with the help of his odd-ball bullies (from a third-grade biter to a skilled hacker), Mac and Vince aren’t sure they can stand up to this older, more ruthless villain and his nasty henchman. The problem with having a business that solves everyone one else’s problems is that there is no one left who can solve yours.
Looks like their business, and the tickets to the game, are going down the toilet!
about the author
Chris Rylander was born and raised in North Dakota. Although he thought it would be nice to be an author, it was something he planned to do when he was old, around about 50 or so, and had lots of time.
But then, when he was 23, he decided to give it a try. He wrote sample chapters on the bizarre history of divorce in America and agents seemed to love the concept…but they thought his writing was boring! Feeling that the honest criticism was good, he wrote his next novel about a talking mustache, a pack-rat wolf, and a mannequin who fishes. No one bought the book, but not a single agent said his writing was boring!
His advice to new writers? Let go of your filters. “Be weird, Be crazy. Have fun.”
Chris works a day job (claims all he does is sit in a cubicle) and writes 90% of his books during his lunch break. He hopes one day to be a writer full time. Then again, he also hopes to retire by the time he is 32!
The Fourth Stall may be a little inspired by a strange and very macabre incident that happened to his brother and himself. Not going into details, he said it involved “a battle ax and a kid who threw steak knives with deadly precision”!
Married to Amanda, the girl he met when he was seventeen, Chris has a cat and a bald dog. He also has a beard which he calls “Billiam.”
Source:
Author website
Author interview: Alison’s Book Marks
Also by Chris Rylander:
Countdown Zero (Codename Conspiracy, Book 2). Walden Pond Press. 2015.
Codename Zero (Codename Conspiracy, Book 1). Walden Pond Press. 2014.
The Fourth Stall : Part III. Walden Pond Press. 2013.
The Fourth Stall : Part II. Walden Pond Press. 2012.
read more!
Crunch by Leslie Connor
In a national fuel shortage with their parents stuck near the Canadian border, Lil, Dewey,and Vince have to care for themselves and run their dad’s bicycle repair shop. With people forced to rely on their bikes, the boys can’t keep up with the work. To top it off, someone is stealing bike parts. They need help—but from who?
The Fourth Stall : Part II by Chris Rylander
Christian “Mac” Barrett and his friend Vince’s business, conducted out of the fourth bathroom stall, is booming. This time their client, Trixie, claims her new science teacher is being hard on her. But Trixie may not be what she seems.
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
Mike suffers from a math learning disability, but his math professor dad hopes that working on an engineering project for the summer will get Mike into a math magnet school. So Mike is shipped off to rural Pennsylvania to stay with his 80-year-old eccentric relatives. The project turns out to be building artistic boxes to raise $40,000 for adoption fees to bring a child from Romania. Before long, the number-impaired Mike is in charge of the whole operation!