By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Kelsey Thompson

Title: Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Illustrator: Carol Lawson
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Number of Pages: 534 Pages

I love books. So I envy Meggie, the main character in the book Inkheart. She has grown up with books all around, for her father is a book doctor, with quite a large personal collection. But there is a secret in Meggie's past, something that holds the answer to the two question Meggie has wondered about all her life: Why does Mo (the only name Meggie calls her father) never read aloud to her? And where is Meggie's mother. As Meggie stumbles upon the reasoning that the two are somehow combined, she becomes more and more entangled with the book her father has been keeping secret from her, until she finds out its secret. The title of the secret book is Inkheart and Meggie's father had brought its characters to life. One night, when Meggie was too little to remember, her father read aloud of a book he had newly acquired. That book was Inkheart. And when he read something happened. Mo found himself face to face with the books worst villain; Capricorn, his henchman Basta, and Dustfinger, a fire-eater struggling to get by in the magical world. After Mo chases them from the house he discovers something missing: His wife, Theresa, and their two cats are gone. And when Mo turns the pages to the illustrations he finds a new picture of a blond maid, with her face turned away from the reader. Nine years later Capricorn has assembled a new army of evil , and has found a new reader. But that reader is not good enough. Capricorn wants to bring out the ultimate creature of darkness and destruction. And when Mo and Meggie, along with Dustfinger and Meggie's aunt Elinor get caught they must fight to save the lives of the human race, as well as their own.

I adore this book. It has a great and steady plot, rich, colorful, believable characters, and a great blend of fantasy with realistic writing. I would recommend this book to grade 4 and up, although it might be a little hard for the younger kids to get through. Some other similar books are: Harry Potter's 1,2,3,4,&5; Ella Enchanted, The Two Princesses of Bammar; and The BFG. Cornelia Funke also has another book, titled The Thief Lord. But for most of you readers out there I think that next time you are looking for a good fantasy, or a good adventure, or just a good book in general, check this one out and enter the world of Inkheart. (March, 2004)