The Island of Dr. Libris

by Chris Grabenstein

Overview

Chris Grabenstein, author of the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and coauthor of the I Funny series with James Patterson, celebrates the power of imagination with this action-packed adventure that shows that sometimes the real story starts after you close the book!
 
What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it? Look for brand-new BONUS material in the paperback, including a GALLERY of literary characters, a discussion guide, a behind-the-scenes look at Chris’s process, and more!
 
“A wonderful tale. . . . A complete original.” —James Patterson
 
“Effortlessly readable and a whole lot of fun.” —Booklist
 
“A science-based variation on the theme of fictional characters being brought to life. [A] satisfying read.” —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780594723608
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/24/2015
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Chris Grabenstein is the author of the New York Times bestselling Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, as well as the coauthor of several bestselling books with James Patterson, including the I Funny, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series. Chris lives in New York City with his wife, JJ, three cats, and a dog named Fred. (Fred once starred on Broadway, but that’s another story. . . .)

Editorial Reviews

This kind of mash-up is in the air right now—witness the Night at the Museum movies and Into the Woods. Though the premise is familiar, kids will enjoy the cartoonish mayhem, especially given Grabenstein's breezy narrative voice and jaunty wit…there is a winning generosity and sweetness to the story's telling.

The New York Times Book Review - M. T. Anderson

01/05/2015
Grabenstein (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library) delivers a science-based variation on the theme of fictional characters being brought to life. When Billy’s mathematician mother, who has been studying the concept of parallel universes, explains to him that “Some people refuse to accept the limits given to them by others,” the 12-year-old doesn’t give the statement another thought—until he discovers he can make impossible things happen through the power of his imagination, combined with reading. With his parents headed toward a likely divorce, Billy is spending a “boring” summer with his mother in a rental cottage, but a foray into the library of the absent owner, Dr. Libris, leads Billy to an island where fictional characters appear. Grabenstein mixes up a melange of characters from the books Billy (and eventually two neighbor children) reads, with Hercules, Robin Hood, the Three Musketeers, Tom Sawyer, and even Pollyanna coming together in dangerous escapades. While the adventures are not especially suspenseful, the story moves at a quick pace and has a good-natured tone that makes for a light but satisfying read. Ages 8–12. Agent: Eric Myers, Spieler Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"A wonderful tale… This book is like no other I've read. It's a complete original." — James Patterson

"In this entertaining literary romp, the author includes references to over 20 classic tales, from Aesop's Fables to Holes. For curious readers, he's listed the titles at the end, but familiarity with these stories is not required to appreciate this fast-paced fantasy. Readers will wish their summers were so eventful." - Kirkus Reviews  

"Readers will appreciate Billy’s cleverness in solving his ever-growing problems, as these literary characters make plenty of trouble outside the confines of their intended stories. Effortlessly readable and a whole lot of fun." - Booklist Reviews  

From the Publisher

01/01/2015
Gr 4–7—Billy is not thrilled to be spending the summer in a cabin on a lake in the middle of nowhere. His mom and dad aren't together, and he's worried this change may be permanent. Their cabin is owned by Dr. Libris, who also owns the mysterious island in the lake. With a lack of technology, and bullies as neighbors, Billy resorts to searching for a key to open the bookcase in Dr. Libris' study. What he unlocks brings classic books to life—when he reads the books, he hears the action somehow occurring on the island. Curious, he ventures out to the island to explore and discovers the unbelievable—somehow the stories he is reading are actually happening. When he meets Hercules, Zeus, Robin Hood, Tom Sawyer, and others, he becomes embroiled in their adventures and unwittingly causes the storylines to collide. When Billy brings his neighbors, Walter, and Walter's sister, out to the island, they all face treacherous foes including the giant from Jack in the Beanstalk and a space lizard from Walter's comic book. Billy is left trying to figure out whether Dr. Libris is behind everything, whether his own mind may be the culprit, and whether or not he can use the island to help save his parents' marriage. While the plot is unique, the story feels too far-fetched to be believable, and lacks the magic of Grabenstein's Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (Random, 2013).—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

School Library Journal

Listeners can appreciate the fun that narrator Kirby Heyborne has giving voice to the myriad characters who inhabit Dr. Libris’s unusual island. With summer stretching before him, young Billy arrives at a rented lakeside cabin with his mother and only a vast library for entertainment. But what happens when Billy reads a story aloud on the island? And exactly how does Billy fit into the Theta Project? Heyborne toggles between the flat affect of scientific reporting and the nuances of adventure tales. His narration underscores the personalities of the characters—boyish Billy, booming Hercules, confident Tom Sawyer, boisterous Robin Hood, and a Pollyanna who is “glad” even in the face of a “sharkodile.” A.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2015 - AudioFile

2014-12-06
Billy Gillfoyle discovers that a powerful imagination can bring characters from books—and comic books, video games and role-playing-game cards—to life.Unhappily spending the summer with his mother in a lakeshore cabin she's rented from a university colleague, the 12-year-old finds no Internet or TV but plenty of books in a locked cabinet. (Finding the key is a relatively easy puzzle.) When he reads The Trials of Hercules in Dr. Xiang Libris' library, he hears the voices of Hercules and Antaeus outside. They're fighting on an island just offshore. Reading Robin Hood, he hears the sound of swordplay. When he explores the island the next morning, he meets the characters he heard, not only brought to life, but also interacting with each other. Grabenstein's similarly powerful imagination unfurls a grand series of adventures in which Billy and neighbor Walter Andrews are pursued by the Sheriff of Nottingham, search for buried treasure with Tom Sawyer and save Billy's parents' failing marriage. In this entertaining literary romp, the author includes references to over 20 classic tales, from Aesop's Fables to Holes. For curious readers, he's listed the titles at the end, but familiarity with these stories is not required to appreciate this fast-paced fantasy. Readers will wish their summers were so eventful. (Adventure. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews