Title: Thomas and the Magic Marble
Author: David M. Hall
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
Pages: 190
ISBN: 9781524631048
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss
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Pacific Book Review
In Thomas and the Magic Marble, after losing his collection of marbles, Thomas finds himself at the local hobby store, hoping the owner would have a marble collection or two, hopefully at a marked down price. While Thomas was looking for marbles in the store, he finds a large marble inside an old Chinese vase. When he gets his hands on this marble, it takes him back in time to ancient China. Now Thomas must rely on his wisdom to help save a magician who had been trapped inside the marble for thousands of years. Thomas finds himself on a wild adventure with Wing Ling as they work together to find their way outside the marble and back to Thomas’ own time.
David M. Hall created a sweet little story where the main character must think on his feet and gets more than he expects. It is one of those stories that draws you in as soon as you start reading. It is the perfect length to keep young readers interested and attached to the characters. Many children of middle school age could easily relate to Thomas and find humor in the little magician. Even adults will find themselves giggling at this cute little tale. Hall writes in a way that is easy for young readers to understand and read to themselves. Since the chapters are smaller, it is easy to read a few chapters a night before bed. The illustrations are funny and go along perfectly with the story. They help readers get an understanding of the setting and characters. They make it easy to envision the adventures Thomas and Wing find themselves getting into. The images have a watercolor look to them that gives the whole story an airy and fun feeling.
David Hall really knows how to bring his characters and story to life. He gives children a good character to look up to and emulate through play. Thomas is the type of character who could have adventures through different books, traveling to different countries. Thomas and the Magical Marble is the kind of novel that will leave its readers wanting more. Hall masterfully reaches into childhood imagination to present his readers with a finely crafted adventure. He gives us a new character that will win the hearts of millions and fast become a favorite in many households. Halls combines his words with beautiful pictures to help rev-up imagination and creativity.
If you are looking for a cute book with a character that relies on his own wits and wisdom to find a solution to his troubles and puzzles, then this would be the perfect book for you or your child. This could be one of the books that gets a child really interested in reading, travel and culture. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages as it would be right at home on the shelf with other classic children’s books. It is a great way for parents and children to share time together and encourage imagination.
