The Train to Impossible Places (Train to Impossible Places #1)

by P G Bell (Author)

The Train to Impossible Places (Train to Impossible Places #1)
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
In this debut fantasy, 11-year-old Suzy Smith joins the troll-operated Impossible Postal Express, but she botches her first delivery by stealing a cursed snow globe containing a boy who claims there is a plot to take control of the Union of Impossible Places.
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Publishers Weekly

Hearing strange noises, Suzy, a physics-loving 11-year-old, wakes to find a train track being constructed through the middle of her house while her parents sleep. When a magical train passes through, Suzy steals aboard it and learns that it makes deliveries throughout the Union of Impossible Places, including "cities, realms, worlds, and dimensions, plus a few spaces no one can quite agree on a name for" using "interdimensional engineerin', a dash of magic, and a few bits of double-sided sticky tape" as well as fuzzics, which is "like physics, only fuzzier." After an enchanted snow globe on board begs for her help, Suzy finds herself in the middle of a power struggle involving secret political machinations that are hidden from the ordinary people of the Union. Though the story feels rushed in places and some characters are left undeveloped, this debut fantasy is full of imaginative locales and fun twists, and readers will enjoy the creativity of Bell's world and its look at how power left unchecked can corrupt. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"All aboard for an adventure like no other—readers will be delighted to learn it's just the first." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Bell sets a smart pace, guiding Suzy smoothly through one impossibility after another in a way that keeps readers off-balance without bogging them down . . . the kind of efficiency and solid storytelling that a troll would admire—while promising potential future adventures for Suzy." —Horn Book

"A rollicking adventure . . reminiscent of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones. There is plenty of humor to season Bell's debut novel, and the characters and plot are refreshingly well developed and raise serious questions about honor and freedom. Fortunately, there will be more adventures in this first in a projected series. All aboard!" —Booklist

"This debut fantasy is full of imaginative locales and fun twists, and readers will enjoy the creativity of Bell's world and its look at how power left unchecked can corrupt." —Publishers Weekly

P G Bell
P. G. Bell is a native of south Wales, where he was raised on a diet of Greek mythology, ghost stories, and Doctor Who. He's had all sorts of jobs over the years, from lifeguard to roller coaster operator, but has always wanted to write stories for a living. His dream comes true with the publication of the Train to Impossible Places series. He currently works as a library assistant for Cardiff University and lives in Wales with his wife, Anna, and their two children.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250189509
Lexile Measure
750
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Feiwel & Friends
Publication date
October 20, 2018
Series
Train to Impossible Places
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV041050 - Juvenile Fiction | Transportation | Railroads & Trains
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
Trolls
Railroad trains
Conspiracies
Postal service

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