Review of Have Book Will Travel by Kfir and Yonatan Luzzatto

Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.

They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.

In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures.

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Have Book, Will Travel is a fantastically fun read and it reminded me strongly of the many Enid Blyton stories I devoured as a kid. If you were a fan of hers too, I highly recommend this book, just for the nostalgia! The story is full of twists and turns due to a magical book that can take you absolutely anywhere that's written on it's pages, so you truly have no idea what is going to happen in the story next, which really kept me reading!

I felt that the story started off a little slow but as soon as it starts heading towards the adventure, it really made up for it. Max and Darla meet one day after Max, a typical curious boy, is curious about a room filled with boxes and boxes of stuff. He stops by often and one day, bumps into Darla, who lives and works in the town below his Uncle's castle. She's spending her break reading a mysterious book - but is having trouble, due to a poorer education than Max's. Max happily agrees to read the book to her and they soon become firm friends. 

There's all sorts of adventures to look forward to in this story - Max and Darla meet strange people, strange lands and even stranger customs! There's magic and mischeif galore yes - a lot of fun too. I really liked the ending, as it finished off the story well but left enough clues to give me a picture of what might happen in Darla and Max's future. All in all, a great read for all ages.

5/5

Received free from the author in exchange for an honest review.