books and reading

This is a great book. It's about Sylvie and her parent's kingdom. This may sound like a fairytale but it's not. The kingdom is a book. They live in the book and they are the characters. Townley manages to introduce you into a whole new world of the readers, the characters and the mind, and there is still a wonderful story between the description of how one character gets pinned down by a huge finger when the reader uses her finger as a bookmark, and how another character hinds himself between parentheses. The characters say things to believable that I found myself being careful to not let my finger rest on any words for fear that I might squish a character. This is a wonderful book and I would recommend it to everyone in sight!

Although listed as a children's book, this book should be read by anyone who's interested in the wonderment of books. It's a delightful story about real characters in books who are alive - and not just in the reader's mind. When the book isn't open, they lie around getting bored but when a 'Reader' comes along, they scramble for their places and take up the story. So what happens when one of the characters actually meets the Reader and helps her with her problems? That's what you'll have to read the book to find out. This one is a must read for writers, readers, and anyone who's in love with the written word. It is a unique, new way of looking at fairy tales.

Sylvie has been a 12-year-old princess in her story THE GREAT GOOD THING since 1917. More than eighty years is a long time to still enjoy telling the story that was once fresh and new, to readers. Yes, her story is exciting, and she's the heroine, but that's where the problem is. Sylvie's story is always exciting, in the same exact way. For once Sylvie wants to get away from her beloved, yet old, story, and to explore the world outside of her book. So Sylvie does something to begin her journey. She breaks the cardinal rule of all storybook characters the world over. She looks up at the reader. By doing that, Sylvie begins a journey that she never expected. One that takes her through all different adventures and terrain, and will help her to accomplish the greatest great good thing imaginable.

I found THE GREAT GOOD THING to be a very interesting fairytale that will be loved by children and adults alike, as the heroine, Sylvie, is so exciting and intelligent. However, the constant switches from Sylvie's storybook adventures, to the subconscious mind of the reader, and her dreams, are something that could easily confuse a small child, as they are quite sudden. Overall this was a fascinating story that will be loved for generations and generations.

Erika Sorocco