The Magical Mystery Book Tour
Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 11:17AM 
Daniel Pinkwater's The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death is one of my favorite books. In fact, it's one of the books that I'd like to actually go live inside for a while. Reading the book, I just wanted to slither inside the pages and spend a few evenings snarking out with Walter and Winston Bongo. Another book that I'd like to live inside is Ellen Potter's Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy. (No, I'm not just saying this because she's my friend. I want to row around the exit academy livingroom in a gondola. Wouldn't you?) The Twilight of Magic by Hugh Lofting was one of my most beloved childhood books and I think I actually DID live inside that one for a while. I thought I had a shell that would get hot and burn my hands when anyone was talking about me.
I've always dreamed of escaping to the world of books for real. Although I'd have to be choosy. There are books that I loved reading, but that I WOULDN'T want to visit, like the boot camp in Louis Sachar's Holes, the organ harvesting farm in Nancy Farmer's House of the Scorpion, and the starved, terrified wizard academy in Kathleen Duey's Skin Hunger .
And then there are the artists. Don't get me started on the artists... When I was a kid, I loved the moody woodcuts of Fritz Eichenberg (Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights) and the fairy tale illustrations of Kay Nielsen (East of the Sun and West of the Moon). I stared at the illustrations for hours, maybe days; there's probably a section of my brain cordoned off by rope and neon signs, that is solely dedicated to those two artists...
Come to think of it, I've been on the magical mystery book tour for most of my life. That's why I write. Because the only way to REALLY live inside a book is to write one. Try it out and see for yourself.
P.S. Which books/illustrations would you like to live inside? And why?
;)
East of the Sun, West of the Moon by Kay Nielsen
Reader Comments (18)
First 2 comment! I wud like 2 live in Abby Hayes world!!! I luv da series!!! It is riten by a VERY talented author, Anne!!! I luv u, Anne! Keep on rocking!!!
Luv,
Aishah
Thank you, Aishah!! :-) Love, Anne
No problemo!!! I <3 Abby Hayes!!!
I would have to say...Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, and deep down popular. Stargirl because I so want to meet her because she is so inspiring to me, Inkheart because well I would love to meet a fairy and live in a magical world (call me crazy if you want), and deep down popular because it always seems that things turn out great in the end =)
I Would Totally Want To Be In A Series Of Unfortunate Events. With Secret Initals An Evil Count Trying To Steal Your Parents (That Died In A House Fire Ruining Every Thing) Fortune, Two Of Three Orphans (Who Are Your Friends) Kidnapped By The Same Evil Count...Man I Could Go On Forever! Mystery And Misery Don't Ask Me Why It Just Seems So Riviting! I'm So Crazy One Day I Spent Hours On The Computer Trying To Find Out All Of The Secrets Of The Books. That's Just What Those Books Do To Me:)
Do You Know Lemony Snicket Anne? Have You Ever Read A Series Of Unfortunate Events?
(Man This Is Pretty Long!)
I would LOVE to spend a while with Abby Hayes........... and all the main characters in Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass.................. AND a little and i mean MICROSCOPIC time in Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer!
I love hearing about all the books you'd like to visit for real. Anyone up for a week with Pippi Longstocking? (I always wanted to spend time with her) - Anne
When I was young, I spent a lot of time in Farawayland from Lindgren's Mio My Son.
I would love to spend a Thanksgiving dinner with the characters from Steve Kluger's My Most Excellent Year.
Hey every one! I'M BACK AND READY TO WRITE!
Well comment! I would defenetly want it live in side all of the Abby Hayes books by Anne Mazer My favorite author ever!) and Magic Tree house books By Mary Pope Osborne. I would like to live in Abby Hayes books because I think it would be fun to look at Abby while she talks to her friends and write in her Journal. I do that all ready in my dreams! I would like to live in Magic Tree house books because it's exciting and I want travel with Jack and Anne in the past! BYE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nan, I'm sorry to admit that I don't know either of those books. I better get reading! And Faria, welcome back! Maybe someone will write a book called Abby Hayes in the Magic Treehouse? :-)
HaHa That Would Be Quite Some Book:)
Abby Hayes in the Magic Tree House?!?!?!? WOW THAT SOUNDS EXCITING!!!!! I'm going to read it if someone writes it!
I said "Abby Hayes in the Magic Tree House" just as a joke, but wouldn't it be fun to imagine other combo books you'd like to read? Here's one: "Pippi in Time City." (Pippi Longstocking and A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones.) Any others?
Oh Ummm.....Unfortunate Events In Middle School? (A Series Of Unfortunate Events & How I Survived Middle School) Wow My Combination Stinks:P
Just Grace Meets Harry Potter ( Series of Harry Potter teaching Grace About Becoming a Wizard?). Interresting but Weird????
AbbyFan, I thought that was really funny! Yours, too, Faria. -Anne
AbbyFan's combination sounds way better then mine!
BY the way Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!!!!!!!