written by Julie Andrews Edwards
This is such a classic children's fantasy book! I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't get to read it as a kid, but I am glad that I found it later on. It seems like it would make a really great read-aloud to a group of students. As often seen in children's fiction, a lot of it is really convenient, parts of it are really predictable, but it all makes for a great story, and there are some great suspenseful bits along the way. There are a lot of smaller conflicts that quickly get resolved, under the umbrella conflict of finding the Whangdoodle, and then the greatest conflict of all that isn't revealed until near the end. A really cool part of this book is its exposition to vocabulary through the Professor's narration. I'm really glad we didn't get the cop out "it was all a figment of their imaginations/a dream" ending. I'm also really glad that in the end, it's a story about the Professor and the realization of his dream, rather than a focus on the kids, although they are still a big part of the story. There are parts of the book near the ending that do get a little preachy, but it's still a fantastic fantasy read for kids and their parents/teachers.
I got this book from...:Bookmooch
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