The Book of Mysteries starts a wonderful series that also is as fun for us adults as well as the young folks. I have said that Harry Potter was theoretically for the young folks, but it is now a staple in our homes. I think this series has the potential to be a classic.

A 12 year old boy, Tyler Trent, is told by his free spirit uncle that he is old enough to start adventures. For him to go to a mysterious book store in NYC that sometime disappears, sometimes is there, and ask the owner for a certain book, The Book of Mysteries.

Tyler, curious, enlists his best friend and cohort in adventures, 12 year old Zack Vander, to go with him to this interesting book store.

When they enter and ask for The Book of Mysteries, they find the book is not for sale, but if they want special adventures, the boys can select something from the book and go on their adventures. When the boys open the book, it only has titles, no stories. If they choose to go on an adventure, they are to pick a title and will be transported to a different time and space and then have the ability to return back to the bookstore, with the help of a special quartz pendant and the special words to leave and return.

The boys, skeptical of the whole premise, agree to humor the book owner Beadlesberry, and go along and pick an adventure - it can't be real, duh! They say the words, and all of a sudden, they are in Balalac! A beautiful, but strange land where cows are purple, there are pink cats, and talking dogs  - oh yeah - wizards and dragons! The boys start their adventure by helping the people of Balalac with a huge problem - figuring out what is causing earthquakes and making a restorative spring boil!

With delightfully created characters, and crisp writing, you are charmed into an enjoyable adventure with these boys.

This series will be most comfortable with other series also marketed for younger audiences - the Perseus Jackson series (Riordon) and the Alchemyst (Nicholas and Perenelle) series (Scott). All are great reading for all ages, and have the fun of sorcery and wizards and dragons and fantasy we all love.

If you have a 'tween', they will enjoy it, but please don't let that category stop you from having a great time with a new series.

Ms. Orenstein's sequel is already in the works, and if I could preorder it now, I would.

It is a wonderful read for kids of all ages.

ellen george

The Book of Mysteries The Wizard of Balalac, by Fran Orenstein, ISBN 10: 9-9816661-8-3, Triad Publishing Group (Tweens), review by ellen george