The Anti-Book
- Subject
- Fantasy & Magic
- Age
- 9-12 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 320
- Publisher
- Rocky Pond Books
- Size
- 14.5 cm Ă 21.3 cm
- ISBN
- 9780525552413
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Name of This Book Is Secret comes a darkly funny story about a boy who wants the world to disappear. This fantastical quest for comfort and belonging was called âa surprisingly powerful, formula-breaking coming-of-age storyâ by the New York Times.
Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blankâexcept for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . .
Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears--but she's only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum Kingâthe king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.
From Raphael Simon (a.k.a. beloved author Pseudonymous Bosch!) comes this Phantom Tollbooth for today's generationâa fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.
Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blankâexcept for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . .
Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears--but she's only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum Kingâthe king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.
From Raphael Simon (a.k.a. beloved author Pseudonymous Bosch!) comes this Phantom Tollbooth for today's generationâa fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
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What reviewers said
"Filled with clever wordplay and puns come-to-life. Its world crackles with imagination . . . The Anti-Book is a surprisingly powerful, formula-breaking coming-of-age story."
"Simonâs omniscient narrator speaks to readers with equal parts humor, sarcasm, and intrigue. Short, quick-moving chapters, filled with dialogue and action, will keep the interest of its target audience . . . the strange, fantastical nature of this book is a fresh and welcome remix of the coming-of-age genre."
"Lively interstitial illustrations show the White tween in both realistic and fantastical settings . . . Short sentences and a fast-moving plot will especially appeal to reluctant readers. A bubble-gum story disguising some real substance."
"Simon offers wacky, inventive sidekicks and plenty of humor, but itâs also weirdly refreshing to adventure with a grumpy protagonist truly wallowing in his misery. On the flip side, itâs heartening to watch Mickey grow in self-love and self-awareness and ultimately realize that he has been papering over deeper emotions with surface complaints. A sweetly silly but satisfying concoction."
"With this fast-paced, humorous adventure, Simon explores the complicated interplay of negative emotions as Mickey learns to confront his shifting 'states of mind' and cope with the world around him."
âThis book will move you, make you laugh, and change the way you think. A mind-bending experience, unlike anything you've ever read before.â
