Toaster Pond
Three 13-year-old friends, Doug, Skip (a girl), and Pierce discover they have special “gifts” that endow them with unique magical powers. While swimming in Toaster Pond, they are transported through a portal that takes them to the mysterious Sanger Castle. Lord of the Manor, Sir Henry Eisenhut, has a plan to send the trio on a mission to Shadow Forest to find the Gem of Gicalma and return it to Sanger Castle. None of the many prior attempts to retrieve the Gem have been successful. Trolls, gnomes, giants, snakes, and prehistoric birds protect Ludicrous Zwevil, the evil mistress of Shadow Forest. Will the trio succeed? Their lives are on the line.
The audience for this fantasy will enjoy the story and relate well to the three friends and enjoy the adventures they experience.
The opening chapters are disconnected and hard to follow. In them, the author attempts to provide background and introduces three generations of families whose children and grandchildren become the major characters in this story. Once the scene is set, the story unfolds and the readers are rewarded with a wholesome and enjoyable adventure.
It takes the reader several chapters to wade through the preliminary stuff. In the end, though, the story is a wholesome adventure in which the characters demonstrate friendship, commitment, service to others, perseverance, and self-sacrifice.
This is a fantasy adventure for teens.
This is a teen fantasy/adventure. It is an enjoyable story and might serve as a valuable resource in discussions of friendship.
0.0
10 to 13
8 to 13
Buy. This is a worthwhile and enjoyable book that will be especially appreciated by young teens who are into fantasy and magic. It is most likely to be found on the bookshelf in his or her bedroom, lop-eared from trips to grandma’s or the beach.
