My name is James, and my mom's always telling that I'm a big disappointment and have ruined her life. I want to prove I'm the most average kid in the world, but I came upon a talking goat on my way home one day! I followed him through a hedge and found myself in a whole new world, The Land of Possibility. Now, somehow, I find myself possibly being the next king of the Land of Average. I must complete a quest, of course, by finding the former king and discover why he left. Am I average enough to rule a whole kingdom?If you enjoyed reading The Phantom Tollbooth, you'll love this one too. There is A LOT of word play for you to think about, and you may miss much of it. Characters' names, names of kingdoms and cities, and words in conversations have literal and figurative meanings. Ever heard someone say "A little bird told me"? The bird is in the book, and James's goat is a scapegoat, taking all the blame for him. James journeys into a land of possibilities and pessimism, but he finds it difficult to live with average expectations. The adventure of quests and helping others kind of makes you take risks and become un-average. How many people in the real world are afraid to stand out and be different? It's not always easy going against what is "normal", but go ahead, take a chance and care about other people. Make it a better place.
Thanks Mark,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got the humor of the book and the message. Yes, it is my 'homage' to Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth.
Much obliged.
Gary Schwartz