When Gregor falls after his little sister down the laundry shoot he finds himself in a new land. He is faced with deciding where to place his loyalties, how to survive and given the opportunity to search for his father who unaccountably disappeared 2 years ago.



This book has ruined my entire day! I have laundry to fold, dinner to cook, breakfast to eat, 3 papers to write and lesson plans to develop. Instead, I've spent my morning snuggled under a down quilt devouring Gregor the Overlander. As so

When Gregor falls after his little sister down the laundry shoot he finds himself in a new land. He is faced with deciding where to place his loyalties, how to survive and given the opportunity to search for his father who unaccountably disappeared 2 years ago.



This book has ruined my entire day! I have laundry to fold, dinner to cook, breakfast to eat, 3 papers to write and lesson plans to develop. Instead, I've spent my morning snuggled under a down quilt devouring Gregor the Overlander. As soon as I finished it I slid into my car and ran back to work to collect the next four books in the series. It looks like the rest of my life is going on hold for awhile. Good-by responsibiliy, Good-by family, HELLO UNDERLANDERS!



I have always loved fairytales and mysteries in the Agatha Christie model. It's restful and reassuring to know there may be trials and tribulations but good will always defeat evil and the deserving will live happily ever after.



Gregor the Overlander carries these themes forward but provides subtle opportunities for the reader to question their convictions about "right and wrong" through the protagonist's encounters with various species in the Underworld. Equally appealing is the sharing of Gregor's thoughts as he begins to recognize the limits he has set for himself with self imposed rules after his father's disappearance.



So often books of this genre for the elementary crowd become preachy and moralistic. Suzanne Collins does not preach. She invites the reader to explore issues about tolerance, responsibility, growing up, and loyalty for themselves. This first book is the equal of the Harry Potter books exploring the same issues with an emotional power and linguistic accessablity for the 5th-8th grade crowd. I've listed a few of my favorite quotes below.



1) .."And then there was Tick. Brave little Tick who had flown into the face of an army of rats to save his baby sister. Tick--who never spoke much. Tick--who shared her food. Tick--who was after all just a roach. Just a roach who had given all the time she had left so that Boots could have more. ...Somehow Tick's sacrifice had crushed whatever thin shell remained between him and sorrow. From now on he felt an allegiance to the roaches he knew would never fade."



2) "Well, Boot's courage might only count when she could count, but her ability to love counted all the time."



3) "No one who spends years with the rats can expect to be unchanged....but will his mind and body heal, I believe so."



4) "He was done with the rule now. For good. Even if times got bad he would never again deny himself the possibility that the future might be happy even if the present was painful. He would allow himself dreams."



Because I teach in a school where far too many children have parents and siblings in jail, I intend to use this book as one of a collection about children who overcome the odds to determine their own destiny.



Reviews:



1) Booklist starred (November 15, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 6)) Recommends for gr. 4-7 and states.."Collins creates a fascinating, vivid, highly original world and a superb story to go along with it. ..This is sure to be a solid hit with young fantasy fans.



2) Horn Book starred (Spring 2004) writes "Collins sends a reluctant Gregor on the classic hero's journey in this fast-paced, immensely satisfying narrative."



Both of these reviews would incline me towards the book's purchase. Several of the other reviews also mention it is one of a series and they all recommend it for the same age groups. What the reviewers fail to say is now much parents would enjoy sharing this book with their children.