The Island of Dr. Libris - Softcover

Grabenstein, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385388454 ISBN 13: 9780385388450

Publisher: Yearling, 2016

Synopsis

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

About this title

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. . . .)

From School Library Journal:

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

About this edition

• Publisher: Yearling
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0385388454
• ISBN 13: 9780385388450
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272