Landon Snow, in time for Christmas

Snow, just in time for Christmas! Landon Snow, that is.

This is the coolest new book for kids: Landon Snow and the Auctor's Riddle by R.K. Mortenson. It has sort of the same feel as Alice in Wonderland except the hero is a boy, and the fantasy world that he steps into possesses a beautiful logic that makes for a satisfying read. Alice's adventures always left me befuddled, while Landon's story makes perfect sense in its own fantastical way. It's a great blend of fun and logic.

Landon starts off in an ordinary Minnesota town, but before long he's off to investigate a strange tunnel and an even stranger library. He winds up in a magical but dangerous kingdom where he's not sure who's a friend and who's an enemy. The story moves along at a breezy pace with a lot of fun wordplay. The book is a visual and tactile pleasure, too. It's hardcover, with a quality feel to the paper and an intriguing cover illustration that makes me think of mysterious old books in old libraries.

You can check out some reviews at Amazon. I plan to give this book to some some young book-lovers I know. It's affordably priced, which is always a nice bonus when you find a treasure of a book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels.