The Kindle seems to have encouraged me to read things I would normally overlook. The Land of Nod is one of them; it sits on the same bookshelf as a Harry Potter book. And that is why I thoroughly enjoyed it. A normal, intelligent boy, Jeff, leading a normal life, suddenly finds himself in another dimension; the author is superb at describing the fantastical elements of this dimension and I had no trouble at all imagining the strange effects, creatures, and, well, just about everything of this strange land. The reader always has a firm foot on the ground, because, as Jeff is not one of the fantasy characters, he regularly compares features of the world in which he finds himself with planet earth – and that’s why I liked the book – it didn’t overreach my sci-fi boundaries of credibility.
The book ends with some unanswered questions – which I won’t detail, or I would be giving things away – so I am hoping this means a sequel…………I would, without a shadow of a doubt, snap it up in a jiff.
( )

This was an entertaining story of a teenage boy who finds himself in a strange new world. Although the humour in this book didn't really appeal to me I really liked the story and was drawn in by the mystery surrounding Jeff's father. ( )

Land of Nod, The Artifact by Gary Hoover is the first book in the Land of Nod trilogy. Ever since Jeff Browning's father mysteriously disappeared, Jeff's been having strange and terrifying dreams. When he's searching in his father's office for a necklace given to Jeff by his father, he finds a portal. Jeff's curiosity is piqued to the point of finding out where the portal leads, and if it's where he'll find answers leading to his father's whereabouts.

This was an imaginative story with strange creatures in a strange land. Jeff meets new people who are willing to help him; for his new friends believe Jeff to be the prophesied one. I felt this story was alright and is a great story for middle grade children. ( )