I listened to this author speak earlier this year about plotting and pacing stories at WriteOnCon, a writing conference for kid lit authors, and picked this up after his talk, "Why I Hate Breakfast, or Some Tips for Developing and Structuring Scenes in Your Novel."
I don't know how this slipped under my radar, but it's a great, fast-paced read, non-stop action with not a single whiff of breakfast, anywhere!
Ozzie is stuck living with his Aunt Temperance in her cramped, dingy apartment while his parents galavant around the globe for their jobs. Without him.
A strange woman, Lady Zoone, comes to visit his Aunt, right after he discovers a strange door in the basement near the super's apartment. It opens to a brick wall, no where. But the woman visitor insists the door's been opened, and interrogates his Aunt about it. Later, Ozzie catches his Aunt checking on the key, hidden in a hollowed out book on a shelf in the kitchen.
When a blue tiger named Tug who speaks shows up the next time, sprawled on the couch, and states he can't go home unless Ozzie uses the key, that's exactly what they do -- and the grumpy, crotchety old super tries unsuccessfully to stop them. The door whisks them off to Zoone, where Ozzie learns magic is fading on Earth. Unfortunatley, the door smashes and breaks behind Ozzie, and there are no more doors available to go back to his poor, depressed Aunt.
But wait -- there's more. Ozzies' arrived just in time for the 11th annual Wizard's convention, and he becomes a porter, taking luggage of the wizard travelers to Zoone for the convention. He meets Salmanda, a wizard's apprentice on whom he has a very noticeable crush, and Fidget, who arrives and creepy crawlies instantly form around her, whenever she gets wet.
It's all quite odd, but then Ozzie gets the idea to ask the wizards for a new door to Earth, and Salamanda insinuates that Fidget is the evil wizard Crogus' rogue apprentice, here to take over Zoone. She sends Ozzie, Tug and Fidget through door 89, which leads, of all places, to Crogus' home planet and a whole lot of trouble!
I won't reaveal the ending, or how or even whether Ozzie ever gets back home. But it was great to read an author who practices what he preaches, and exceptionally well. This will keep middle grade readers riveted, and I, for one, intend on purchasing it to use as a mentor text. Bravo!
