The Book of Nonsense

David M Slater is my english teacher. Sitting in his class now

This is the kind of kids' fantasy that parents will enjoy as much as their children will. It has a lickety-split pace, dry humor, and engaging characters in a story that continues to build until the very final chapter. And unlike other series novels in recent years, which tend to end just as things are getting good, this one has a satisfying resolution that still leaves doors open for future volumes. Daphna and Dexter Wax, twins on the verge of young adulthood, are like any other siblings at their age, full of hope and vigor but completely intolerant of each other. Daphna is bookish, but Dexter is at war with the world. When their widowed father, a speculator in antique books, comes home from abroad with an ancient and puzzling codex, sullen Dexter slinks off while Daphna helps Dad find a dealer to pick up that old book. That means that Daphna is the only one to see it when the antiquarian book dealer, Asterius Rash, uses hypnotic powers to bilk Dad and try to turn the twins into pawns in a battle for control of a primal language from humanity's earliest days. The plot takes on themes that were previously addressed, in less family-friendly ways, in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. But for all its appeal to wide-eyed youth, the youth characters aren't just innocent figures being acted on; their very youth, which makes everything new and wonderful to them, is what makes this story worth reading. This book picks up one of the more interesting themes from recent youth fantasy, the idea that kids are aware of secrets that go right past their parents. Unlike writers like C.S. Lewis, whose child characters are simply rediscovering what the adults in their lives already knew, Slater and other authors of his type have latched onto the fact that young kids are capable of seeing the world with a kind of wonder which has been lost to us adults. Nearly the entire book takes place on the twins' thirteenth birthday, a day that shoots them all over Portland, Oregon, trying to unlock the secrets of Asterius Rash and the Book of Nonsense before their father can give the whole game over into the old man's hands. As the twins descend into a Da Vinci Code-style labyrinth harkening back to the day after creation, more and more of the world they took for granted turns out to be freighted with significance. Secrets abound in this book, some of which will go right past young readers. Adults who have read well, however, will pick up subtle cues. The plot rockets around, but never feels overstuffed, and allows the characters enough leeway to play as they need. And readers, one way or the other, will find themselves drawn along in a powerful, moving story that doesn't let up through the entire book. This is a stirring book full of wonder that will keep all ages entertained and guessing up to the final page.

When a rare bookstore opens in town, Daphna and Dexter are intrigued by the cryptic volumes within. But the mysterious store owner, Asterius Rash, is only interested in one particular book - a book so rare it involves magic just to possess it. Daphna and Dexter come under Mr. Rash's spell, and in an effort to break loose, they delve into a world of the past - uncovering family secrets, and the true meaning of The Book of Nonsense. With more twists than a roller coaster, The Book of Nonsense will keep you continuously involved and turning the pages. It's perfect for both fantasy and mystery readers.

David Michael Slater's Sacred Books series is likely to be the next to reach Harry Potter notoriety. The intricate storyline of the first book in the young adult series is filled with twists and turns that will stimulate young minds from the outset. It weaves magic and mystery into a tightly packed plot. We first meet Slater's adolescent protagonists, twins Daphna and Dexter, as they while away the summer months, preparing for their thirteenth birthday. Daphna, the book worm of the pair, has discovered a rare used book store, called the Antiquarian Book Center, to occupy her time. She's eager to share it with her book scout father, who can surely appreciate the magnitude of her discovery. As she guides him down the aisles of books on magic and the occult, she encounters some frightening revelations about the proprietors of the dusty shop. Daphna's father has a book he wishes to sell to the owner, Asterius Rash, but what he doesn't realize is that he's just given the old man an important tool to add to his arsenal of world domination. What Daphna originally believed to be a book of nonsense is actually written in an ancient language that bestows the reader with amazing power. The problem is, the book's been enchanted to prevent Rash from being able to read it. Consider the fact that he's also blind, and he's going to need the services of someone connected to the book's history to decipher the spells. Daphna and Dexter unknowingly fit the bill. Daphna and Dexter are two resourceful teens, as they soon find out. It seems everyone around them is hiding something, and they're going to have to put the pieces together and solve the mystery while saving their own lives. With the degree of subtle foreshadowing, the reader can stay one step ahead of the twins throughout most of the adventure. It's not so great that it spoils the element of surprise, however. There are a few loose ends left that I suspect will be tied up in future installments. The twins discover a mysterious stash of money that is left unexplained, and I'm not quite sure of how large a role the father plays in the history of the book. It doesn't seem logical that he would be the unassuming participant he's made out to be. Some alarmingly gruesome events transpire in the book. Daphna and Dexter are no stranger to death by the end of the novel. The two siblings are forced to face some serious truths about themselves and each other. But in the end, they're that much stronger for it. The Book of Nonsense launches straight into action from page one and refuses to relent throughout the story. Slater leaves no room for boredom or even down time, which will keep the reader glued to the pages. This type of book demands to be read in one sitting. It should be a hit with even the most selective readers.

Words have power! Every writer and reader knows this and that is why they surround themselves with words. Daphna and Dexter are twelve-year-old twins. On the eve of their thirteenth birthday, all heck breaks loose. Daphna has found an interesting bookstore the summer that her father has been gone looking for rare books. Their mother is dead. When she brings her father to that bookshop strange things start to happen. The owner, a wizened old blind man, has affected her father, and her father has promised the owner that Daphna will work for him starting the next day, her birthday. Dexter, who doesn't like his sister, follows Daphna to the bookshop and figures out that the old man is hypnotizing her. Daphna and Dexter then have to figure out together the mystery and save both of their lives. I enjoyed this story and will be waiting to read the next one. Daphna and Dexter are well-written and easy to root for. I really enjoyed the fact that the author has written about dyslexia. My oldest daughter has light dyslexia, which is how the author described Dexter's condition. Words move on the page and fall off. Many people are ignorant about this disorder. They believe that if you are dyslexic then you only see letters and numbers backwards. My daughter's dyslexia is hard to treat, and even though she wears glasses that seem to keep the letters on the page, she has had a hard time catching up with her peers because of very ignorant teachers and administrators. So thank you, Mr. Slater, for bringing that disorder to the surface. I will definitely be looking forward to the next installment of the SACRED BOOKS series. Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

An absolutely delightful read!!! I was swept away into a world of wonder, mystery and danger as I followed Daphna and Dexter trying to navigate a suddenly perilous world. Daphna and Dexter are fraternal twins whose personalities are as different as their physical appearance. Whereas Daphna is a bookworm and fancies herself to be very social even if not necessarily popular, Dexter is somewhat of an outcast both at home and in school. A day before the twins turn thirteen, their father returns from a book buying trip in Turkey(he is a book scout) with a very strange book. The book is frayed and damaged on the outside, with the inside seeming to contain a jumble of words that have no meaning or order. Daphna persuades her father that he would probably be able to offload this weird book at the new bookstore that was opened a few months back during his absence. She is horrified when she watches her father get hypnotized by the creepy shop keeper who takes the book away from him and tries to exact further payment in the form of Daphna going to work for him. Daphna sets out on a quest to reclaim the book and save herself, finding a surprising ally in her brother Dexter. So begins a very wild ride through town as the twins try to outsmart the villain and his minion. This book is excellent in capturing the personalities of its characters and displaying them in a realistic way that rings true. Daphna and Dexter's relationship is a perfect picture of sibling rivalry and petty jealousies. Each has a tendency to misunderstand even the best intentions of the other. I also thought it was very interesting the way that the author was able to show the attitude of youth to the aged without it being disrespectful or untrue. This book is a true find and I think that everyone will enjoy it regardless of age. Keep an eye out for the little clues, they will come back and mean more than you thought. This is book one in what I hope is going to be a very successful series.