Wondrous wondrous Kate D. (think Edward Tulane and Desperaux) has come out with another glorious tale - full, as always, of light - The Magician's Elephant. My book recommendation habits, however, will allow me to tell you precious little about what the book is about. Halbroox Bros. rule number one in picking up a new book - *never* read the back. Why? because too many a good book was ruined by some overzealous publisher who thought it'd be a grand idea to reveal half the plot on the back cover.
This is how it usually goes:
Jimmy was always a strange boy. But one day, his whole world is changed - an even stranger, eight-legged creature shows up on his bedstand to tell him the meaning of life and to set him off on the most exciting adventure of his lifetime.
So you pick up the book (I'm not really sure why at this point) and start reading...and reading, and reading. On page 320, the spider finally shows up in what's supposed to be a plot-twist. FAIL. All this time you were waiting, expecting the eight-legged wonder to appear and change the boy's life. The book ain't about the spider - it's about Jimmy. But now that Jimmy's life is a sub-plot and the spider has gained full rights to the climax, you set it down and find a cheese muffin. And with a plot like that, we can hardly blame you.* In other words, you limit the amount of times you get moments like these:
Note: I must admit that every now and then, you will, in fact, come across the back of a book that is just vague enough to get you interested without giving away anything you shouldn't know. So perhaps Halbroox Bros rule number one in picking up a new book is a bit harsh. Just know that we have had far too many a good book spoiled to remain detached from what we see as the inevitable disillusionment with book-backs. Of course, there is always hope for a better future...in fact, one of my friends wants to be "one of those people who write blurbs on the backs of books," so we cannot give up on back covers altogether.
All that to say, this book is grand, and has nothing to do with 8-legged creatures or boys named Jimmy. And whatever the back cover says, don't read it. It's Kate DiCamillo, so know it's pure goodness.
What I can tell you is this: it's full of hope, loss, wonder, and Home. And already, I've said too much.
