This is the first book I finished for 2009 and I am glad for it! This is an amazing book filled with action, fantasy, adventure, thrills and humor. It is a very fun read and would be fun for adults as well as children.

We are introduced to Meggie and her father, Mo, a bookbinder, who on a dark night have an unexpected and unwelcomed visitor by the name of Dustfinger. If Dustfinger is visiting, it cannot be for a good reason. His face is scarred and he carries an awful smelling marten in his backpack. He is also a pyromaniac. Why does Dustfinger show up all of sudden? what does he want? And can he be trusted?

In the wee hours of the morning, Mo rises Meggie and they quickly pack up to leave their home. We learn later that they are always on the move. Who are they running away from?

The book is filled with many more characters, some new and some familiar. Who knew there was such power in reading out loud?

I actually picked this up because I saw the movie was coming out.

This book was recommended to me by my mother-in-law who had it from her sister, a school librarian. It’s a children’s book, but as with most fiction for kids, it’s a great read for adults too – or maybe I’m just young at heart?

This is really a book about the power of books to transform your life. It’s obvious that the author appreciates all aspects of the book, from what it does to your brain to the visceral pleasure of turning a page.

But the power of books is more literal in this fantasy, as 12-year-old Meggie discovers when a man with a name straight out of a storybook (Dustfinger) walks into her life, visiting her father, a man who has a gift with books in more ways than one. Soon she finds that not only his name but the man himself is out of a storybook, along with many other even more frightening characters.

The fantastic premise is a creative and promising one and the plot really strings you along until you get to the end. I can’t wait to read the sequel! I’ve also heard that the audiobook by Brendan Fraser is great (at least for the 2nd book) but I’ll probably get the book since it’s faster to read than to listen. At least at first, since I want to know what happens next as Meggie’s story continues.