Inkheart (Inkheart Trilogy Series #1)

by Cornelia Funke, Anthea Bell

Overview

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from Inkheart and an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of fiction, landing in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is in the middle of an adventure she has only read about in books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780756950576
Publisher:	Perfection Learning Corporation
Publication date:	03/01/2005
Series:	Inkheart Trilogy Series , #1
Pages:	563
Sales rank:	294,186
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Cornelia Funke is the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, and the Inkheart trilogy, along with many other chapter and picture books for younger readers.

Hometown:

Los Angeles, CA

Date of Birth:

December 10, 1958

Place of Birth:

Dorsten, Germany

Education:

University of Hamburg

Editorial Reviews

Tackling Funke's (The Thief Lord) meaty, intricately plotted tale of magic and books, Redgrave colors her reading with appropriately varying degrees of suspense, revelation and drama. Twelve-year-old Meggie, a self-proclaimed bookworm, finds it odd that her bookbinder father, Mo, has never read aloud to her. But when a mysterious man named Dustfinger appears in the rainy shadows of the garden one night, Meggie begins to unravel the secret her father has kept all her life: when Mo reads aloud from books, the characters come to life and appear before him. This magical power proves dangerous, as characters from a certain book-Inkheart-are on the loose and after Mo. Many twists and turns that will particularly intrigue those who love books unfold before Meggie ultimately learns that she and her father have something in common when it comes to magic. Redgrave's voice takes on growling, sometimes whispery qualities as she portrays villains; a brighter inquisitive tone prevails as Meggie makes observations and interacts with the other characters. The end result is a satisfying listen, perfect for long winter evenings by the fire. Ages 11-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4-8-Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie, 12, has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. Things change after a visit from a scarred man who calls himself Dustfinger and who refers to Mo as Silvertongue. Meggie learns that her father has been keeping secrets. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released Dustfinger and other characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story. Mo also released Capricorn, a sadistic villain who takes great pleasure in murdering people. He has sent his black-coated henchmen to track down Mo and intends to force him to read an immortal monster out of the story to get rid of his enemies. Meggie, Mo, Dustfinger, and Meggie's great-aunt Elinor are pursued, repeatedly captured, but manage to escape from Capricorn's henchmen as they attempt to find the author of Inkheart in the hope that he can write a new ending to the story. This "story within a story" will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters. Pair this title with Roderick Townley's The Great Good Thing (2001) and Into the Labyrinth (2002, both Atheneum) for a wonderful exploration of worlds within words.-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

It is hard to avoid preciosity in books about books, but here Funke pulls off the feat with vigor. Meggie, an avid reader, lives alone with her father, a bookbinder; her mother disappeared years before. When a disturbing stranger named Dustfingers intrudes on their peace, she gradually discovers that the barrier between books and the real world is permeable and that an ill-fated read-aloud years ago unleashed Capricorn, who "would feed [a] bird to [a] cat on purpose . . . and the little creature's screeching and struggling would be as sweet as honey to him." Funke takes her time with her tale, investing her situations with palpable menace and limning her characters with acute sensitivity; she creates in Meggie a stalwart heroine who never loses her childish nature even as she works to contain the monster and bring her mother back. Master translator Bell takes the German text and spins out of it vivid images and heart-stopping language that impel the reader through this adventure about narratives-a true feast for anyone who has ever been lost in a book. (Fiction. 10+)

Kirkus Reviews

New York Times bestseller

ALA Notable Children’s Book Award Winner

Winner of the Book Sense Book of the Year Children's Literature Award

Adapted into a major motion picture starring Brendan Fraser and Helen Mirren

“A true feast for anyone who has ever been lost in a book." – Kirkus

"I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading." – The Guardian

“Seems to have been sprinkled with some magical fairy dust of its own.” – The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

Cornelia Funke’s second stunning novel joins a body of literature that challenges the conventions of realistic fiction. Consider the premise that characters can jump from stories into real life and vice versa. Add to this fluidity the notion that the author can create an alternative ending to be read into the story. Inkheart is an intriguing, fast-paced, and provocative fantasy. Marvel as 12-year-old Meggie and her bookbinder father grapple with wily villains, unsettling accomplices, and “drop-in” characters, as they seek to achieve stability in their world and family. Lynn Redgrave is a superb narrator. Her vocal repertoire richly supports Funke’s myriad characters. As personalities unfold over time, so Redgrave’s passion brings depth to each. Both the story and the narration underscore the idea that power comes not from fear and might but from communication and love. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2004 ALA Notable Recording and YALSA Selection, 2004 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

APR/MAY 04 - AudioFile