“The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster

Have you ever read a book that just completely blew you away? As in the “over the river, through the woods, and past gramma’s house” kind of away? Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth did that for me. It really was a story that pulled me (along with my soon-to-be-three-year-old brother, Ezra,) in, and I simply couldn’t take my mind off of it. After reading, I constantly felt like I was wearing some sort of “Juster Glasses.” His was of looking at the world, and words, was so unique- I sincerely hope it rubs off on me. 🙂

***

Once there was a very plain child named Milo. He went about each day with a sigh and a shrug, doing what he was told, getting his schoolwork done on time, but not truly thinking and pondering, not really caring what went on around him. Wake up, eat, school, eat, bed. Repeat. But one day, something changed.

Returning home from school, feeling glum and bored with it all, as usual, Milo found something that was absolutely not as usual. A bright blue envelope containing a large, paper tollbooth. With a declaration of nonchalance (“I do hope this is an interesting game, otherwise the afternoon will be so terribly dull.”) Milo dusted off his small electric car and drove through.

To his vast astonishment, Milo suddenly finds himself in a place he has never seen before, a place very unlike home. But this new-found world, lacking it’s fair peacekeepers, Ladies Rhyme and Reason of the Kingdom Wisdom, has fallen into disrepair, and Milo is tasked with rescuing them. On his was, he finds edible speeches, befriends a ticking watchdog named Tock, and learns to see, love, and understand the things around him like he never could before.

***

I smiled the whole time I wrote this review. Is that cheesy? I really don’t care. 😀 The Phantom Tollbooth is as memorable as it is inspiring- equally entertaining. (And all of these in great proportion.) Bravo, Mr. Juster.

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5 of 5 stars

For all ages

“Taken” by Brock Eastman :: The Quest for Truth

Taken is, I believe, the epitome of adventure. It’s got vehicular chases. It’s got pirates. For crying out loud, it’s even got secretive blue skinned forest-people! Whether you read it on a Kindle or a paperback, believe me when I say: You will never look at oranges the same way again. (Uhh… you kind of have to read the book… Moving on.)

***

Daily life for the four Wikk children (Teens Oliver and Tiffany, and 11 year old twins Mason and Austin) is far from normal life here on Earth. You take the bus to school? They take sky-scooters. You read a book? They flip through e-journals. Coffee wake you up in the morning? Energen is the Wikk boys’ drink of choice, supplying a 100% natural jolt of energy

Even the Wikk’s strange definition of normal, though, is shaken when their parents are kidnapped. Captured by a member of a secret society named the Übel, the parents leave their e-journal, a chronicle of their past adventures, with the children. Using the information within the journal, the siblings set out to save their parents.

But on the small forest planet, Jahr des Eises (German for “Year of the Ice”), danger approaches swiftly, and in many forms. Chased by a pirate ship-dealer, seeking escape from secretive forest tribes, and exercising a constant caution against discovery; the Wikks are working with all they have in them. But will it be enough?

***

Classic science fiction. Great, believable characters. Giveaway coming soon. (Whoops. Did I type that out loud?) Keep an eye out, folks…

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4 of 5 stars

8+

“The Door Within” by Wayne Thomas Batson :: The Door Within Trilogy

The Door Within is a perfect example of a novel that shows the reality of the truths that a Christian believes in through story. (In this way it is akin to Lewis’ Narnia, Eastman’s Sages of Darkness, and a thousand other tales.) Christianity is a reality, not a fantasy. But it can be taught through fantasy, and in the case of The Door Within, taught very, very well.

***

Aidan Thomas just moved, and his life is ruined. No friends, parents that don’t understand him, and an old, wheezing grandfather that he has to take care of. The only people who will listen to him are some medieval figurines from his youth, silent and still; unquestioning.

Soon, though, Aidan is made aware of a world beyond his own, separated by a chasm of disbelief and unsurety. By crossing this chasm, Aidan is allowed into this world; a world at war. King Eliam, the wise and just ruler of The Realm, has been murdered by a traitor- Paragor. Eliam still rules, though not in body, but the forces of Paragory are daily growing stronger, preparing for an all out attack.

Aidan has been summoned to The Realm for a reason: To thwart Paragor in his attempts to gain control, and taken on the armor of the fabeled Twelfth Knight. But will he be able to fill such massive armor, and wield the sword Syl Furyn in the defense  of his King? Find out- and enter the Door Within.

***

Simply, magnificently, fantasmagoriphically awesome. This book, I would say, is like a simplified and less wordy version of Lewis’ “Narnia” series- traveling to another land to face the evils there and reveal the truth. LOVED it. My only negative criticism would be to say that at times Aidan, the teen main character, acts more like a 10 year old than a knight. Other than this, the book was brilliant.

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4 of 5 stars

9+

“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein

Invitation by Shel Silverstein
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in! Come in! 

Every poem in Silverstein’s Sidewalk Ends,
From their starts to their middles,
from their middles to their ends,
every poem to make think, to urge on, or to mend;
They were absolutely brilliant.

For sure, you should envy me
this gift I have received,
you would not have believed
Just how big my smile beamed when I saw it inside of my stocking.
If only you’d gotten for Christmas just this!
Yes, if only for Christmas just this.

It seemed every poem just got bester and bester.
(I really liked Sick and the Unfunny Jester.)
Here’s MY advice: Go get Sidewalk and read it.
There’s not much to do with such advice but heed it.

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5 of 5 stars

7+

“The Floating Island” by Elizabeth Haydon :: The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme

I once wrote a post about judging books by their covers. The Floating Island was my case in point. Big dragon? Mm-hm, Mm-hm. (Not actually sure how the dragon fit into the story, but it sure looks cool.) Mysterious journals? That’s always gone well. Illustrations by Brett Helquist, past illustrator of Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events? YES.

And, in the voice of radio football announcers everywhere, I proclaim, “The book is… GOOOOOD!!!”

***

Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme (Ven for short,) named after his grandfather, Magnus the Mad, has a family with a history of doing unusual things.  Magnus moved the family out from underground, where their Nain ancestors had always lived and thrived, to the land of the humans above ground. Ven’s father Pepin worked on the seaside, building boats for well-paying businessmen. Ven himself is the thirteenth child in his family. With such strange kin, something unusual was bound to happen to Ven. And so it did.

This first abnormality took the shape of an albatross, carrying a gift. Then came a fiery battle at sea. Ven is thrown into the adventure he’s always desired: pirates, arrests, life bringing water, and undead monsters waiting in the darkness. But not everything is as it seems, as Ven soon finds, and the answers to his questions will come in the form of a final puzzle; a puzzle that can only be solved with the help of friends, the advice of a king, and a 400 year old measuring tool.

***

I wasn’t expecting this book to be incredible when I picked it up, mainly because I’d never heard of it before. However, it turns out that I should have heard of it. It was amazing. The story was enthralling, the characters were fascinating, and the book, overall, was worth 50 times what I payed for it. (That isn’t an exaggeration; I got it at a thrift store.) Well-worth reading, blogging friends.

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4.5 of 5 stars

10+