Genre: Fantasy
Ages: 8 and up
Plot: A ten-year-old boy named Milo is very bored. He receives an unusual package that is a fake tollbooth. When Milo drives through the tollbooth in his electric toy car, he transports to the Lands Beyond. This is a world of imagination. Dictionopolis the capital of the country, in which he meets Tock, the watchdog who joins him on his journey. Milo also meets King Azaz who is in charge of the world of letters and words. Azaz sends Milo on a mission to rescue two princeses, Rhyme and Reason. They are imprisoned in the Castle, in the Air. Milo and Tock leave Dictionopolis with the Humbug, which is their guide. Together, the three travel to Digitopolis where they persuade the Mathemagician to release the princesses. On their way to Digitopolis, Milo, Tock and Humbug encounter unusual people and places. On the journey to Digitopolis, they visit the Valley of Sound, Island of Conclusions, and the Sea of Knowledge. Outside Digitopolis they meet Dodechedron, a man with twelve faces, and each face expresses a different emotion. This man takes the travelers to see the Mathemagician. They tour the Numbers Mine, where digits can be pulled from the earth, like jewels. Milo manages to trick the Mathemagician into agreeing to release the princess, but he must climb through the Mountains of Ignorance to reach the Castle in the Air. Afraid of the demons they will encounter, Milo, Tock, and the Humbug go to the Mountains of Ignorance. They meet the Everpresent Wordsnatcher, a dirty little bird who twists their sentences into his own meanings, Terrible Trivium, and the Demon of Insincerity, who tricks them into leaving the path to the castle. Milo learns from previous experiences and manages to escape each of the demons and make his way to the staircase to the Castle in the Air, and bypasses more daemons using humor. Milo and his friends save the princesses and return home, after saying his goodbyes to all his friends that he made in the Lands Beyond.
Review:
From loneliness to adventure, Milo is a character that learns much from his adventures. The story has a Lewis Carroll feel to it because of the wordplay and the unique creatures that Milo encounters. There are many different characters that Milo meets, which should make the story ever-changing and engaging for readers. The world helps Milo escape from his bored lifestyle, but helps him learn new things that will help him survive when he returns home.
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