The Forbidden Library

Written by Django Wexler

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Dragons and tree sprits and swarms – oh my! Like the Land of Oz or Alice in Wonderland this book’s heroine, Alice, finds herself in a world she didn’t know existed. Her father speaks to a fairy, and decides he needs to go on a boat trip. She loses her father and has to go live with someone else who takes her in as she goes on a quest. The best part about living in the new house is that there is a library so big that she could get lost in it. As in many other hero stories Alice meets up with monsters and has trials to overcome. She finds that she is a Reader, and can enter a book by reading it (sometimes by accident). There are different types of books. For example, there are prison books that contain an inmate that someone has placed there. There are journey and other types of books that have magic as well. Sometimes the magic leaks out into the library to create a special area between the stacks. Alice has a variety of characters around her, and she isn’t sure who to trust. The characters are very complex and multidimensional. There are talking cats and magic, some dreams and other worlds. A “string” (more like an energy tie or thought form) ties Alice to creatures she encounters. She learns to rely on herself and her own judgment when she faces new situations. This is a fun book to read, with many unusual turns. It is suspenseful without really being scary. It seems as if there will be more exciting stories about Alice’s next adventures. It will be fun to see how things unfold.

Review by Cheryl Baker, Teacher, Mill Creek Elementary
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 5-8

Book Website: http://djangowexler.com/forbidden-library/

The Forbidden Library
Written by Django Wexler
Kathy Dawson Books / Penguin Group
376 pages
Release Date: April 15, 2014
ISBN: 9780803739758 (hardcover)

Tags:

2014 Middle Grade Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Books Fiction, Cats Fiction, Courage Fiction, Django Wexler, Fairies Fiction, Family Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Libraries Fiction, Magic Fiction, Orphans Fiction, Reading Fiction, The Forbidden Library, Wizards Fiction