April Book Review #1

Book: Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Age-range: 0 and up
Recommended: Yes
As good as the first time?: Not quite

The first book I chose to re-read this month is Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a book that I have recommended and bought for countless people.  (Side note: I just read that he's coming out with a second book in the series!  Squee!)  I read it again to make sure I still liked it.  I did.

I will happily admit it was slightly less magical on the second reading, however.  Because I knew the twists and turns and surprises it was harder to suspend my belief and I got impatient for certain parts.  But it was still as good as it was the first time.

Haroun's father Rashid is the Ocean of Notions, the Shah of Blah, an amazing storyteller who, one day, loses his Gift of Gab.  Haroun then goes on a quest to get it back for his father and meets a number of funny people, including those with the unlikely names of Iff and Butt.

There are a lot of fabulous images, good lines, and an amazing use of the English language.  There's also, at the core, a great moral.  This is a book that can be told to children of any age (if they have the attention span) and even adults will love it.

So go out and read it already!