THE ANTI-BOOK

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 can't resist the ad inside his pack of gum: Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Purchase The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed. He orders the book, but when it arrives, it's blank --- except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes...

Next thing he knows, he's wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears --- but she's 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 King --- the king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he's made.

From Raphael Simon (a.k.a. beloved author Pseudonymous Bosch!) comes this Phantom Tollbooth for today's generation --- a fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.