Books of Wonder

Anti-Book

Anti-Book - Main image
$8.99 $17.99 In stock

Category: Products

Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: "Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed." He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blank--except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . .

Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears--but she's only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum King--the king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.

Full of humor and surprise, and slyly meaningful, this is a Wizard of Oz for today's generation--a fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

David S. ★★★★★

Got this for my nephew who's going through that same stage with his folks splitting, and he actually read it in one sitting. The whole "two stepmoms both named Charlie" bit is so absurd it got him laughing out loud, which is basically a miracle these days.

Henry Q. ★★★★★

The ad inside the gum is such a brilliant detail—it hooked me immediately and set up the whole story perfectly. I finished this in one sitting, and Mickey's voice felt so raw and real that I was still thinking about him hours later.

Harper B. ★★★★★

I'm still thinking about Mickey's anger at both stepmoms named Charlie—that detail is so painfully funny it hurts. The gum ad hook pulled me in right away and the story never let go.