Staff Pick
Alice in Wonderland meets Inkheart in this middle-grade fantasy adventure. When her father's ship is lost at sea, Alice is sent to live with her mysterious elderly uncle Geryon, owner of a vast and empty mansion and a locked-up library. Determined to find her father, Alice enlists the help of a curious cat to break into the library, where she discovers that the books within are not all that they seem. Recommended By Madeline S., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The Forbidden Library kicks off a brand new classic fantasy series perfect for fans of Coraline, Inkheart, and The Books of Elsewhere!
Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. Thatand#151;along with everything elseand#151;changed the day she met her first fairy.
When Alice's father disappears in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryonand#151;an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And, even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.
It seems Uncle Geryon is more than he says he is. But then, so is Alice.
Review
Praise forand#160;The Forbidden Library:
"Vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland and Inkheart all rolled into one, itand#8217;s good fun... Working in the grand tradition of childrenand#8217;s fantasy, Wexlerand#8217;s off to a promising start."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"By giving the richly textured literary adventures and#8220;teethand#8221; and by placing subplots both inside and outside the books, Wexler dexterously avoids the and#8220;itand#8217;s only a storyand#8221; pitfall that might distance readers from the action, while the wondrous Library will gratify book lovers and fantasy experts alike."and#8212;Horn Book
"Fans of Harry Potter and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (2003) will relish that the library houses magical books . . . It's a joy to watch the dutiful Alice develop her innate curiosity and become a proactive, resourceful heroine, matching wits with snarky cats, dangerous beasts, and a certain smug boy. This is a charming, adventuresome fantasy from a promising new author."and#8212;Booklist
"Wexler ingeniously creates an inventive world with interesting creatures and frightening situations."and#8212;School Library Journal
About the Author
Django Wexler is a self-proclaimed computer/fantasy/sci-fi geek. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with degrees in creative writing and computer science, worked in artificial intelligence research and as a programmer/writer for Microsoft, and is now a full-time fantasy writer. Django is the author of The Shadow Campaigns, an epic fantasy series for adults published by Roc (an imprint of Penguin), and The Forbidden Library, a classic fantasy series for young readers published by Kathy Dawson Books (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group).