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.)