The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil

My family read this as a chapter book, I read most of it, sometimes Mom read too. My favorite part of the book is the artwork, and how it works with the story. The story was very cool, because I've never heard a story like it, and my little brother loved the part where Basil goes into the bad guy's lab. We all enjoyed the book. My favorite part of the story is when Basil unlocks Louise with the magic flute. I recommend the book (highly) for kids my age (2nd grade), but my little brother (he's only 4) really liked it too. Talia Richards

This is a truly WONDERFUL book for reading-aloud at bedtime. Both kids, ages 6 and 10, LOVED the adventures of Basil. Just enough illustrations to be captivating without detracting from the writing. Looking forward to the next book!

Cartoonist Wiley Miller may be best known for his adult 'Non Sequiter' cartoons but his style lends well to children's stories and here his drawings bring to life the tale of a pre-teen who lives in a lighthouse in Maine. Basil's life is dull - until an eccentric professor who is steering a flying boat enters his world, bringing him to a magic floating city filled with inventions and wonders. Even reluctant readers in grades 4-6 will find the color drawings pair well with chapters of vivid adventure fantasy.

Kudos to Mr. Miller for this wonderful book. This was my 4-year-old's first chapter book and I was worried that it would not keep his attention. The first night we easily made it through the first chapter and after that, it was a struggle for him to let me put it down. Needless to say, he was disappointed that we have to wait for the next adventure. The characters were colorful (especially Bea for my little dinosaur lover) and the photos were fantastic. Thank you for helping feed our imaginations!

I am currently reading this book aloud at night to my 10 year old son who hates to read. He's a numbers kids, and likes facts, and history and geography, and it is difficult to find interesting historical fiction literature written to his age level. He is not a "Harry Potter" fan. We can't seem to get past the "Magic Treehouse" books which, I think, are a little too young for him, and not exactly great literature. I picked this book up at our school's Scholastic Book Fair last week. He is completely sucked into it! It's an enthralling story of a boy, living in Maine and wishing for adventure in his ordinary life. It is set in 1899, and so far, I've hit pay dirt!. When I finished reading a section tonight, he asked if he could read ahead on his own! It is exciting, and extremely well written. It reminds me of a Roald Dahl novel, with inferences to historical events (World War I) and mythology (Atlantis). As you would expect from the author, the illustrations are fabulous. I highly recommend it. I predict it is going to be a huge hit -- the next "Holes". I can't wait to find out what happens next, but I, unlike my son, will have to wait until tomorrow night to find out.