Kirkus!!!
Susan, Henry, Roy and Emma stumble upon a wall in the oddest of places—the middle of a cornfield. To their delight, it turns out to be wishing wall, complete with a key, capable of whisking them away to fascinating times and places. It’s not all fun and games, though, at least not at first. The kids have to puzzle out how the magic works and then contend with some mysterious visions granted to them by none other than the famous Merlin. The visions, along with the particular wishes each child makes, unfold into a unique life lesson for each of the children. Unfortunately, these lessons can feel a little contrived, particularly when it comes to Susan, the oldest of the group, who is desperately trying to grow up without losing the childlike qualities of imagination and adventure that are a fundamental part of her spirit. Nonetheless, the fast-paced plot and glib narrator—fond of making asides—will keep readers turning pages and looking for magic in their own corners of the world. (Fantasy. 9-12)
Ah, Kirkus. Why are you so wedded to that nasty penultimate destructo-line?
April 11th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Kirkus doesn’t really like anything – I gave up reading their reviews a long time ago. Ptooie on them. I have ordered Any Which Wall for my library – and I am going to read it FIRST. (-:)
May 7th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I don’t know, they seemed to like it to my eye.
They liked mine too. Must be something in the water.