"The adventures that are written down in books have already been. If we try to horn in on them, we'd just be tagging along. So we have to make our own adventures."

Well, I gotta say, revisiting this classic children's fantasy book was quite a big adventure for me—in large part because finding the book took decades.

It's one of the first fantasy books I read as a child. A checkout from the library. But in the years that followed, when I wanted to find the book again, I couldn't remember the title. I couldn't remember the author's name. I couldn't remember the plot. I had no idea what year or decade the book was published in, especially given that pretty much all books are new-to-you when you're a little kid.

I only remembered one of the illustrations inside, along with the reddish book cover but not the cover art exactly, and most of all, I remembered how much I liked the story...whatever it was about.

So. It took combing through books and books of vintage fantasy KidLit, hoping to come across a reddish cover that might ring a bell in my unclear memory. Even once I found a blurry thumbnail image of the cover and took a chance to buy a newer edition with different cover art, I still wasn't 100% sure I'd ordered the right book.

Not until I received it, flipped through it, and found the one inside illustration I remembered.

I wound up making my own dust jacket for the book, using a high-res copy of the old, reddish cover image because every element of the artwork on it is such a significant reflection of the story.

A story in which the main characters discover the significance of a certain shabby, red book. A library checkout. Even though they can't make out the book's title—much like my memory couldn't.

Wowzers. I enjoyed rediscovering the oddness, the humor, and the delightfulness of this old-fashioned tale.

Granted, not everything I now recognized as an adult was a pleasure to find, namely the two instances of dated slurs in the book. (i.e., "gyps" and "Indian giver")

However, it was satisfying to recognize more of the influences that factor into the story, like that of George MacDonald and Wordsworth. And I appreciate the way the tale speaks to the magic of books. ( )

Not my favorite. But fun. I wonder if he meant this one to be the end... ( )

Edward Eager's books were stories I loved as a child and having re-read them as an adult I still quite enjoy them. The stories and characters hold up to the test of time. These books are clever and intriguing and the characters are very endearing. ( )

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Be careful what you wish for! (especially if you are in possession of a magical book) This lesson is learned by five friends -- siblings John and Susan, who live with their eccentric granny, and their across-the-street neighbors Barnaby, Abigail (Abbie), and Fredericka -- when Susan checks an intriguing seven-day book out of the local library. Delightful adventures ensue, as each of the children takes a turn at wishing on the book's magical powers. The episodes are, for the most part, anchored in other books (or book genres), and the story is told with great wit and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this children's book! ( )