Any Which Wall

June 1, 2009
Gr 3-6-During an Iowa summer, two sets of sibling neighborsfirst-grader Emma and fifth-grader Henry, fifth-grader Roy and seventh-grader Susanare getting bored. Luckily, adventure looms in the shape of a huge wall in the middle of a cornfield. When the children discover that it is magic and figure out its rules and parameters, they are transported to Merlin's castle, the American frontier, the home of "the worst pirate in the world," modern-day New York City, and an ice-cream shop and a movie theater. This book begins with a quote from Edward Eager's "Seven-Day Magic" (Houghton, 1999) and, as in his fantasies, the charm of the story lies not just in the magic, but also in how four kids figure out how it works, what to do with it, and how to get along at the same time. That magic, like everything else, has consequences is made clear to the youngsters, especially when their adventures saddle them with a large, wounded, lovable, homeless dog to take care of. Snyder's fresh, down-to-earth voice is complemented by Pham's energetic illustrations, which seem at once retro and modern. Fantasy fans will enjoy this novel, but so will readers who like stories about ordinary kids."Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2009
Grades 4-7 This title celebrates summer vacations of yore, when kids played outside and rode their bikes toward adventure. Susan, Roy, Henry, and Emma discover a magic wishing wall in the middle of a cornfield that can transport them to any place in any time, real or imaginary. As in her picture book Inside the Slidy Diner (2008), Snyder displays a knack for collaborating with an artistwho complements her offbeat sense of humor; here, Phams handful of black-and-white drawings recall scenes fromold-school dime-store novels. While the premise is rife with potential for grand adventures, the kids excursions through Camelot, New York, an old pioneer town, and an encounter with the worst pirate in the world feel like rushed pit stops on the road to a lesson about friendship; and the focus on common magic, the kind that is not loud and full of dragons, sometimes feels like a cop-out. Still, this breezy and fun tale is just the right sort of book for a rainy summer afternoon indoors.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
Four children stumble upon a magical wish-granting wall. After some trial and error, they figure out the wall's magic and begin their explorations. Throughout, an omniscient narrator instructs readers, reflecting this contemporary-set story's old-fashioned sensibility, also seen in Pham's black-and-white line art. Snyder acknowledges her debt to Edward Eager; fans of Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks books will also be pleased.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2009
One summer day, sibling pairs Henry and Emma, Roy and Susan stumble upon a magical wish-granting wall. Faster than you can say "root beer float," the hot and sticky kids find themselves whisked to a diner for some cool treats. After a bit of trial and error, the friends figure out the wall's magic and begin their explorations. First stop is a visit with Merlin, who explains more of the rules and proclaims, "Magic transforms you." Not surprisingly, Merlin's message proves prophetic: little Emma, perceived as helpless, frees the older kids from a dungeon; brash Henry curbs his greed after tousling with an opportunistic (but scaredy-cat) pirate; introvert Roy takes decisive action in the Old West; and Susan, on the cusp of adolescence, regains her appreciation of play and wonder after reuniting with her best friend. Throughout, an omniscient (occasionally obtrusive) narrator instructs readers, reflecting this contemporary-set story's old-fashioned sensibility, also seen in Pham's black-and-white line art. Snyder acknowledges her debt to Edward Eager; fans of Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwick books will also be pleased. The tale's tame episodic exploits and pervasive sense of idyll gracefully reinforce the narrator's assertion that "fun does matter. It matters a lot."

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)