The Magic Token: A Journey with Alice in Wonderland

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Lenny's description:
It's Walt Disney meets H. G. Wells' Time Machine when Emma Thomas' best friend loses the silver dollar that Emma loaned her for a seventh grade school project.

Dana offer's her twelve-year-old friend a replica of a magic token once owned by Charles Dickens. Reluctantly taking it, Emma scoffs at the claims on the magic token package that the famous 19th century author used it to time travel for his book research.

During an argument with her younger brother, Emma accidentally wishes herself back to 1862 and joins Alice in Wonderland. Along their journey Emma breaks up the Caucus racers, acts as policewoman for a loud-mouthed Duchess and her pan-throwing cook, trades insults with the pipe-smoking Caterpillar and the grinning Cheshire Cat, disrupts the Queen of Heart's croquet match, stirs the Mad Hatter's tea party into an even madder, madcap, madhouse, and plays defense attorney to try to stop the Queen of Hearts from chopping off Alice's head.

Having lost the magic token somewhere in Wonderland, can Emma escape, or is she trapped in Alice's mad, mad, mad, upside-down world forever?

Seller's description:
It's Walt Disney meets H. G. Wells' Time Machine when Emma Thomas' best friend loses the silver dollar that Emma loaned her for a seventh grade school project. Dana offer's her twelve-year-old friend a replica of a magic token once owned by Charles Dickens. Reluctantly taking it, Emma scoffs at the claims on the magic token package that the famous 19th century author used it to time travel for his book research. During an argument with her younger brother, Emma accidentally wishes herself back to 1862 and joins Alice in Wonderland. Along their journey Emma breaks up the Caucus racers, acts as policewoman for a loud-mouthed Duchess and her pan-throwing cook, trades insults with the pipe-smoking Caterpillar and the grinning Cheshire Cat, disrupts the Queen of Heart's croquet match, stirs the Mad Hatter's tea party into an even madder, madcap, madhouse, and plays defense attorney to try to stop the Queen of Hearts from chopping off Alice's head. Having lost the magic token somewhere in Wonderland, can Emma escape, or is she trapped in Alice's mad, mad, mad, upside-down world forever?


Product details:

Item number (ASIN): 0595332765
Author: Eugene Orlando
Edition: 0
ISBN: 0595332765
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 144
Package Dimensions: 47 x 598 x 882 (hundredths-inches)
Publication Date: December 23, 2004
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Binding: Paperback

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Rating: - Review by Midwest Book Review
The Magic Token is a journey into the magical wisdom of learning that loving is better than fighting. Emma Thomas, a seventh grader, has lent her most prized coin to her friend. After waiting a week for the return of her Morgan Dollar minted in 1881, she confronts her friend, Dana, as to the coin's whereabouts. Dana sheepishly confesses she has spent the coin not realizing its value. Feeling betrayed and appalled at her friend's actions, Emma is rabid. Dana persuades Emma to accept a replica of a coin owned by the great writer Charles Dickens. Dana returns home and while in a conversation with her brother she makes a wish about her most favorite story "Alice in Wonderland". In a finger snap, her wish comes true. She journeys through Alice's world learning much needed life lessons. There are lessons about race, judgment, anger, love and trust. Emma tries to explain to Alice that Alice lives only in a story and Alice is perplexed by Emma's being Black. Emma tells Alice, "Everything seems real to you because it seemed real to the writer. Whatever a writer puts into a story, a reader gets the same out of it". The author has put the written word to work in an out of the ordinary and first-rate chapter book filled with good-hearted lessons and reminds us all, there is "no place like home". Sherry Russell Reviewer Midwest Book Review

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Rating: - an honor to Lewis Caroll
Alice isn't alone in Wonderland. Emma Thomas has come to pay a visit and her presence mixes things up a bit. But when visiting a fictional place, is it wise to tell the characters that they are not real? And when drawing upon one's knowledge of the story, shouldn't you keep in mind that very often the movie is nothing like the book? Emma's friend Dana gives her a replica of a magic token that was owned by Charles Dickens. It is said that Dickens used the coin to time travel for his book research. Only this replica is not a replica but the real thing. Emma accidentally wishes herself into 1862, in Alice's Wonderland. There, Emma finds things a good deal different from her favorite movie depiction of the tale and realizes that Lewis Caroll's version was not at all like Disney's. Emma "helps" Alice on numerous occasions, thinking things will proceed as they do in the movie. Alice and Emma wind up having adventures that echo the famous book but have the twist of a modern girl's influence. The favorite characters abound, from the Cheshire Cat to the Mad Hatter and Alice's dream is still just as fanciful. But Emma is a tool for the reader to learn lessons on friendship, racial opinions, nonsense and home sweet home. Written in a fun and lively, interesting and fantastical way, "The Magic Token" is sure to be enjoyed. What's more is that the book will inspire readers to seek out the original Alice in Wonderland story. This book is an entertaining read but also an honor to Lewis Caroll. Review by Heather Froeschl.