The Island of Dr. Libris
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3.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Chris Grabenstein, author of the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and co-author of the I Funny series with James Patterson, celebrates the power of imagination with this action-packed adventure that shows that sometimes the real story starts after you close the book!
What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it?
“A wonderful tale. . . . This book is like no other I’ve read. It’s a complete original.” —James Patterson
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Grabenstein (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library) delivers a science-based variation on the theme of fictional characters being brought to life. When Billy's mathematician mother, who has been studying the concept of parallel universes, explains to him that "Some people refuse to accept the limits given to them by others," the 12-year-old doesn't give the statement another thought until he discovers he can make impossible things happen through the power of his imagination, combined with reading. With his parents headed toward a likely divorce, Billy is spending a "boring" summer with his mother in a rental cottage, but a foray into the library of the absent owner, Dr. Libris, leads Billy to an island where fictional characters appear. Grabenstein mixes up a melange of characters from the books Billy (and eventually two neighbor children) reads, with Hercules, Robin Hood, the Three Musketeers, Tom Sawyer, and even Pollyanna coming together in dangerous escapades. While the adventures are not especially suspenseful, the story moves at a quick pace and has a good-natured tone that makes for a light but satisfying read. Ages 8 12.
