The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster
Listening Age: 6+
Reading Age: 10

"I loved it...and that's saying a lot [from me] for a "weird" book."

-Fifi, 13 years old, lover of Dickens

Children like weirdness. It's true.

That's why they read things like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. But, truly? My girls say those books are actually creepy and bizarre, and I'm not sure they really enjoyed them at all.

This book, however, was weird in a most delightful way! It is certainly not poetic or classic, but I can't call it twaddle either.

Let's dub it a fun departure! A breather! What you read after you say, "...and now for something completely different."

The Phantom Tollbooth begins with a 10 year old boy who is bored. He is bored with his stuff, with his life, with his toys and with his schooling. He is just flat. out. bored. Oh yes! And he's an expert at killing time for no good reason.

One day, out of nowhere, a strange gift appears in his room--an empty miniature tollbooth--and little Milo is whisked away (reminiscent of Harold and the Purple Crayon) in his imagination to the far-away land of Wisdom. On his way, his first friend and traveling companion is Tock, the time-keeping dog clock. Together, the two embark on an adventure to the Kingdoms of Dictionopolis where words are grown, and Digitopolis where numbers are mined. By now, they have a mission too: to rescue and return the twin princesses, Rhyme and Reason from the dungeon to which they were banished when they couldn't conclude which kingdom was the more important.

Along the way, inattentiveness gets Milo caught in the Doldrums, assumptions leap him onto the Island of Conclusions (which is so very difficult to leave), and a variety of demons like the Everpresent Wordsnatcher, the Threadbare Excuse and the Gelatanous Giant try, unsuccessfully in the end, to detour and distract the the rescue party from their purpose.

Any child would love to hear this book read aloud rather than be lectured by Mom about any of the many well-intentioned character flaws and consequences--and benefits and pleasures of learning, too--addressed in the storyline.

But, it is weird.

I give this book a "B+," but the children would give it an "A," I'm sure.

The Chronicles of Narnia

by C. S. Lewis
Listening age: 6+

This is the FIRST book in the 7-book series written by Oxford English Professor-but-Christian convert-anyway, C.S. Lewis. It is called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was written first. It was published first. It was meant to be read first. Read this one first.

Why? I'll tell you why. Because in the course of the series there are little asides now and then from the author to the reader which more than clearly express Lewis' assumption that you are reading the books in the order they were written. And better yet--because there is a fantastic goose-bump moment at the end of the sixth book that you and your child will miss out on completely if you read The Magician's Nephew first.

This is the SIXTH book in the series. Some people--in fact, the new edition publisher--will tell you to read The Magician's Nephew first because...because...well, because maybe they are ignorant and have not read the series. And because they take themselves and their classical method too seriously. Not everything must bow to the chronological time line. Our great God made us more intelligent than that! And your children too. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST just because the events in it precede those of the actual 1st book in the series. Read this book 6th. After the 5th book: The Horse and His Boy, (and before the 7th book: The Last Battle). After the 4th book: The Silver Chair. After the 3rd book: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. After the 2nd book: Prince Caspian. After the 1st book: The Lion, the Witch....you get the point.

*sigh* O.k. That said, I must say a bit more before I can tell you of the excitement that these books brought us this summer. I will only acknowledge that there is some controversy in Christian circles about some of the fantasy elements in this book. Again...people taking themselves too seriously. There is much Christian allegory, but the series is not strictly such, and Lewis never meant it to be. There are "nods" to mythology and fairy tales; wicked magic and miracles disguised as magic; good battling evil, and you can read some pretty strong opinions about all that on your own through a Google search. Or you can read this scary condemnation if you can make sense of it past the giant chip on someone's shoulder.

In the end, my advice is to ask the Lord. Remembering that it is not what comes at us from the outside, but rather what bubbles up from our hearts that defiles, I encourage you to pray about your own children--their strengths and their weaknesses. Can they differentiate Truth from fantasy? Can they recognize sin (attitudes, conspiracy, faithlessness) without inviting it to live in them?

Two years ago, I could not say yes. Two years ago I was concerned that reading these books to my youngest girls would be like passing them through the fire. They were not ready. Their knowledge of the Holy One was not steeped enough to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

This summer, I was prayerfully able to say yes, and I have not regretted it.

These books involve different children, across a span of time, and the adventures that bring them to, and through, a place called Narnia. It is filled with talking beasts and the battle between good and evil permeates the land. While I'm fairly sensitive to exposing my girls to gratuitous bad behavior in books or movies, the occasional "rotten apple" child in these story lines always serves the bigger purpose of teaching the reader about reaping and sowing, repentance, forgiveness and redemption--or even sin and judgment.

There is some violence in some battle scenes along the way, and some of the descriptions are graphic enough to have unnerved my 8 year old at bedtime (though we never read these books after dinner). My 6 year old girl was not phased--go figure. My 13 year old girl has been fashioning and sewing Susan Pevensie's quiver and archery dress from scratch ever since. She liked the stories very much, had read them before, but I think really enjoys when I read them to her complete with my sad attempts at Middle-Eastern accents.

And that reminds me...there is another controversy I found during a Google search. *exasperated sigh* Lewis' covert, yet undeniable use of Isl@m as the pattern for the "others"--sometimes friendly, sometimes enemy, but clearly outsiders--has some people (though not actually the supposedly offended people) screaming, "Racist!" because of his acknowledgment of turbans and scimitars.

Blah, blah, blah.

I guess I just don't get wrapped around the axle so easily. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world--red and yellow, black and white--they are precious in His sight...

But, back to my review: the best thing that came of our adventures in Narnia is a sense of the eternal. Not the actual eternal, mind you, but the ability to imagine the eternal. And that it is not lesser just because it is invisible. Our family believes the Bible and reads it every day, but somehow Lewis' vivid descriptions of Narnia and the children's adventures there served to exercise the faith imagination muscle of my littlest ones who have yet been so unsure, even scared, at the thought of an invisible Jesus. Even though they know He loves them.

When my youngest was just 3 and afraid to go upstairs by herself, I reassured her that she was never by herself because the Lord Jesus was with her. And I believe that with all my heart, and do not just say it to keep the peace or assuage a fear.

But to that, she fumbled around for the words to express, "But I want someone real....someone I can see."

Jesus loves the little children, it is true, but faith is a pretty abstract idea when you're them and it's dark at the top of the landing.

The children would give this series an enthusiastic "A+" for fun, suspense and adventure.

The Twenty-One Balloons

by William Pene du Bois

listening age: 5+

This story weaves together fact with fiction so unashamedly that the hope is sure to be realized that your young reader will be intrigued and inspired to do some research on his own about the real volcanic blast at Krakatoa: the late 19th century catastrophe that really did blow up a good-sized portion of the small island in the Sunda Strait.

The story here is about a school teacher, Professor William Waterman Sherman, whose 35 years of experience with unruly school children drives him to attempt a 1-year balloon adventure. (Now, don't get all upset! I don't think he hates children, I just think he grew weary of poorly-parented ruffians.)

The book is delightful in its detailed description of the Professor's preparations. But in the course of his impressively stocked flight, an accident happens which lands him on a strange, uninhabited island--that isn't uninhabited at all!

It an exciting read for the fantastic elements of fantasy. It's very imaginative. The narrative promotes hard work, cooperation, integrity, hospitality and--my favorite--manners. Oh, for the love of good manners! *happy sigh*

When I asked Fifi (who has also read the book) to remind me if there were any offensive or objectionable parts to the story, she could only think of the episode in which the Professor crash lands his balloon in the buff! In his defense, he has to--it's well explained as to why and is not in the least gratuitous.

I give this book a "B."

Pinnochio

by Carlo Collodi

Listening age: 5+

I was a bit hesitant to continue with this book before I had got very far because that Pinnochio--he's some kind of bad character! But, alas, his behavior does not go undisciplined, if only by the harsh consequences that come naturally (if you can call turning into a donkey, "natural").

The book is full of adventure and suspense, and after a horridly malicious start, the author manages to turn our sympathies toward the little wooden puppet.

In the end this rich piece of children's literature was quite enjoyable for all. There were even points in the story that brought Scriptural truths to mind very clearly. I think I'd like to read this one again in a few years, and make a point to research and line up the applicable Proverbs with it.

We give this book a "A-."