Noah Barleywater Runs Away

July 11, 2011
At age eight, Noah Barleywater runs away from home. He is "the seventh cleverest boy" in his class and has "read 14 books from cover to cover" but does not consider these achievements sufficient, and seeks adventure. On his journey, which has strong shades of Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, he travels through quirky villagesâin one, when he picks apples, it is considered a serious crime, and the tree and apples are rushed to the hospitalâbefore meeting a dachshund and a donkey, who point him to a magical toyshop. There he meets an old man, his friends, and many intricate puppets, which represent figures from the man's past. As the old man shares his stories, which touch on themes of courage, selflessness, and keeping promises, Noah opens up about his own family's struggles. Though the magical elements in this carpe diem tale are loosely bound by a meandering thread, Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) touchingly conveys Noah's emotional development from a boy in denial of painful realities to a young man who accepts that which can't be changed. Ages 8â12.

September 1, 2011

Gr 7-10-Early one morning, eight-year-old Noah Barleywater runs away from home. Almost immediately, he finds himself, like Alice in Wonderland or Milo journeying past the Phantom Tollbooth, in a world turned upside down, where animals talk, a few stolen apples lead to a world of trouble, a house remakes itself to replace missing parts as needed, and a mysterious toy maker gladly shares the outrageous adventures of his youth. A sense of impending doom fills the story as it becomes evident that Noah's mother is dying, and knowledgeable readers will be able to figure out the identity of the toy maker long before his name is actually given. The story is told mostly from Noah's viewpoint; however, the tone is adult, somewhat nostalgic, and even melancholy. Older, more sophisticated kids might appreciate the whimsical humor, creative details, and fairy-tale connection; the true audience for this novel is long past elementary school age.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

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