320 pages |Ā Hardcover
From theĀ New York TimesĀ bestselling author of the Secret Series comes a darkly funny story about a boy who wants the world to disappear. This fantastical quest for comfort and belonging is perfect for fans of classics likeĀ The Phantom TollboothĀ andĀ Coraline.
Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he canāt resist the ad inside his pack of gum: āDo you ever wish everyone would go away? BuyĀ The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed.ā He orders the book, but when it arrives, itās blankāexcept for one line of instruction:Ā To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikesā¦
Next thing he knows, heās wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappearsābut sheās only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum Kingāthe king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess heās made.
Full of humor and surprise, and slyly meaningful, this is aĀ Wizard of OzĀ for todayās generationāa fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.
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