The Secret History of Tom Trueheart

This is a well-written, imaginative and enjoyable take on classic fairy tales. Too often these modern retellings or recyclings are too cynical, satirical or humor-obsessed to go very far. But this book impressed me in that it retained much of the beauty, adventure and moral dignity of the fairy tale genre even while it did include a bit of the contemporary itch for tongue-in-cheek humor. The difference was that the author was self-disciplined and wise enough to not turn his whole work into some kind of "fractured fairy tale," but rather kept his focus on telling a good story. Tom Trueheart is an endearing hero who demonstrates courage, loyalty and persistence. The male characters are endowed with refreshingly masculine qualities while Tom's mother and the various beautiful princesses are equally feminine in their virtues and charms. Finally, the premise of the book, a land of stories where new tales are created through a combination of definite rules and structure with free and creative choices, suggested a deeper level of thought behind the plot and action. I was quite impressed with this contemporary fantasy.

Jessica Tan # 16 Mrs. Rebello The Secret History of Tom Trueheart By: Ian Beck The Secret History of Tom Trueheart is a suspense filled adventure focused on a young boy name Thomas Trueheart. Thomas is an eleven year old boy, going on twelve. He is part of the "adventuring Truehearts", a wild family of six older brothers with a missing father and a lone mother. Tom's brothers all get letters from a mysterious organization called the Story Bureau. The letters contain messages from the head of the Story Bureau to have them go on special adventures of action and romance. A few weeks before Tom's birthday, each and every one of Tom's brothers go on an adventure...and don't come back. Their mother is worried sick that her poor sons might have suffered the same fate as their father: going on an adventure and never coming back. It is up to Tom to find his brothers and bring them back home, safe and sound. The only problem is: Tom is not brave. To go on an adventure, you must have strength, courage, and a daring will that keeps you going to save others, all characteristic that Tom does not have. Although Tom is afraid, he must face his fears with the help of a secret watcher, Jollity the crow. The master of the Story Bureau sent young Jollity to watch over Tom on his very first and very dangerous mission. It is Tom's mission to go to the parts of the Land of Stories where his brothers were sent and find clues of where they might have been taken. During his adventure, Tom had met the distressed Cinderella, explored a castle enchanted with everlasting slumber, met jolly dwarves, obtained a golden ball, got his ear twisted by a wicked old hag, climbed a giant bean stalk, battled with a sinister story deviser, found a goose that laid golden eggs, and was chased away by a man eating giant. In the end, Tom was able to release all of his brothers from the dark and damp prison where the man-eating giant was holding them. After all of Tom's brothers had escaped to safety, Tom went after the evil story deviser who tried to kill all of his brothers. He found him sneaking away on a giant balloon with all of the goose's golden eggs. After a thrilling fight with the story deviser on his hot air balloon, Tom popped the balloon and they went plummeting toward the hard, white, snowy earth. Tom woke up and met with his brothers. He went to each of their stories and delightfully watched how they turned out: killing the giant, waking an enchanted, sleeping castle, climbing Rapunzel's golden hair, and five marriages to plan! In the end, Tom and his brothers went home and enjoyed his twelfth birthday supper. Tom stepped outside and sadly said good-bye to his friend, Jollity the crow. Although Tom was saying good-bye, he felt that this wasn't the last time he would see Jollity. He was only twelve and had many more years of adventures...and many more years to search for his lost father. Words: 526 I give this book 5 out of 5 stars

Tom is the youngest of 7 brothers. His family is involved with the story Bureau. Tom's older brother always set out to live out adventures for the Story Bureau to write about. Tom stays home with his mother. That all changes one day when his brother turn up missing and Tom is chosen to find them! Join him and find out how the adventures turn out! Good clean adventure story!

In the Land of Stories, the Trueheart men are famous for their heroic, exciting and sometimes romantic antics. They carry on a family tradition started by their brave and well-known father, Jack. Trueheart senior is heralded throughout the land as a great adventurer. But since his mysterious disappearance, his boys have taken over the tasks assigned by the Story Bureau and the Guild of Stories to finish the tales devised by Guild members. The Trueheart sons, appropriately named some form of Jack after their beloved father, each receive letters from the Bureau with directions and clues to an adventure they are to undertake. When none of Tom's big brothers come home from their assignments in time to celebrate his 12th birthday, the Bureau sends Tom his first letter telling him to go and search for the missing men. But young Tom doesn't know if he's ready for such an important and scary mission. According to his brothers, the Land of Stories is filled with many wondrous, strange and dangerous characters. But family tradition says that a Trueheart always answers the call of the adventure "With a true heart." The Story Bureau is responsible for creating the beginnings of all the stories in the Land of Stories. Guild of Stories members invent the initial ideas, set up the scenes and charge the Truehearts with finishing the stories and reporting back to the Bureau when they are complete. Six stories are incomplete because the six Trueheart brothers cannot be found, and one Guild member and story devisor, Brother Julius Ormestone, is suspiciously absent from the Bureau as well. When the Bureau directs Tom to find his brothers so they can finish their stories, they hope that the boy won't have to deal with the sinister Ormestone. Just in case, a sprite called Jollity is assigned to watch over Tom during his adventure. Jollity is transformed into a crow that follows him closely. It is completely up to the adventurer to experience the ending and bring the conclusion back to the Guild to finish writing. The rules are that the Bureau cannot interfere with the endings of the adventurers no matter how scary and frightening they become. That makes for a good story! So Tom is on his own to invent a way to find and rescue his brothers and to help them finish their adventures. In THE SECRET HISTORY OF TOM TRUEHEART, Ian Beck has devised an imaginative and fast-paced escapade full of entertaining notions. The book will captivate readers with its unique blend of traditional fairy tales and Tom's exploits as he uncovers the whereabouts of his siblings. Tom's brilliance and bravery show the family and the Bureau that he's old enough --- and courageous enough --- for any adventure. --- Reviewed by Joy Held

.... your students and children are going to LOVE this story, as will you! The Secret History of Tom Trueheart, written by Ian Beck, is a wonderful mythical adventure about a boy named Tom, overshadowed by his "courageous" older brothers, trying to find his place in his family as well as his world. Tom lives in the darkness, most haunted by his internal fear that he doesn't have the requisite courage that all of his older brother's profess. When it comes time for him to test that fear, Tom's true colors shine through, and the adventure that ensues is a wonderful romp through the world of familiar fairy tales. Beck has managed to meld an entirely original story with the world of well-established tales, and that is the delightful discovery of this story. As you read this with your kids, much discussion can easily ensue, both about the plot and what my happen next, as well as the deeper issues of believing in one-self, making the right choices, and ultimiately, what path you might take in life. A relatively quick, easy read, this story will lend itself easily to read-alouds, with its delightful use of language, quick prose, and engaging content. Beck seems to have set himself up for a sequel towards the end (no spoilers here!), but suffice it to say, this does lend itself to one. Ever wish you could take your class or your children to a new world of make-believe? Look no further. I highly recommend "The Secret History of Tom Trueheart". Once you pick it up, you won't put it down until you turn that last page!