Jim Springman saw himself as a perfectly normal boy. He wasn’t brilliant, but he was no fool either. A bit on the small side, yes, but all his family looked young for their age. And though he had about as much muscle as a garden rake, he was still a fair athlete. His eyes were slightly less green than his brother’s, but they still retained the same half-mad sparkle.
Right now, they were closed.
Jim yawned. He rubbed his face. It was a bright, sunny morning at 10 Rambling Avenue, and time to get out of bed. After a short, pleasant snooze, Jim just that, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
‘Tis an odd world Jim finds himself in! Somehow an explosion of Fletcher’s (Jim’s grownup brother)’s and Ingrid (his grownup sister)’s making has resulted in a fifth dimension. And now his town is part of his sister’s imagination. His sister is the famous author of ‘Realm of Glory’ and after the explosion, their town becomes the world of the story, inhabited by its strange landscape and fearsome monsters. Confusing? You betcha! There are only a few locals, assisted by Fletcher’s science who are still part of the old townscape. Jim and his two neighbours must try to make sense of it all, if Jim is going to be able to save his sister. And it seems that everyone, including his brother are determined to make life difficult.
Springman Brothers’ Reality Repair is the second in this series, but can easily be read as a standalone title. Where knowledge of the first instalment is needed, enough information is slipped in to allow the narrative to continue without confusion. Well, almost. There’s plenty of confusion to be found when your world is totally unlike your world, except when it is the same as always. There’s plenty of humour with characters from fairy-tales, megamonsters, and human beings who just might be animals in disguise. And the crazy scientist is about the craziest you’re ever likely to encounter! It seems very likely that there will be more instalments in this adventure before Jim and his friends can return to normal life… Wild, wacky and way, way out! Recommended for mid- upper-primary readers.
Springman Brothers’ Reality Repair, Joshua Wright
Scholastic 2011
ISBN: 978174169758 review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com
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