What If You Were Transported to a Land Without Color? And the Only One Who Could Restore it Was You?When Alvin gets a mysterious pack of gum for his birthday, he of course blows a bubble as large as he can. But when that bubble carries him away to a far-off land where everything is gray, he’s in for the adventure of his life, and more than a little danger. Because he’s the only one who can … the only one who can restore the Kingdom of Color to its former glory. To do it, Alvin has to battle man-eating plants, outsmart the bumbling Crimson Guards, cross the Sugar Dessert, overcome the two-headed dragon, and find the color-stealing goblins. It’s dangerous. Scary. Impossible! But it’s the only way to restore color to the kingdom.
In the multi award winning, The Land without Color, Benjamin Ellefson has crafted a middle grade tale full of fantasy and wonder that will capture young reader’s minds, as well as their hearts.
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The Land without Color (TLWC) is a literary Avatar crossed with The Wizard of Oz perfect for kids. It’s a beautiful book full of mystery, suspense and, adventure with a reluctant hero (12-year-old Alvin) and a Journey. At its core, TLWC promotes problem-solving and eating right: fruits and vegetables to be exact and the negative effects sugar in any form can have on you. All this occurs without being preachy and within the narrative of the story.
Great villains (dragons) and wholesome sidekicks (incorporating talking animals in the process, which means you can’t miss with kids), this one has it all. It celebrates working together as a team to accomplish more. I love it. There are also rudimentary political undertones that parents and/or teachers can address. Benjamin Ellefson has crafted a chapter book fit for upper-elementary school students with everything a young reader needs to develop a love for the written word; vivid descriptions, good dialogue, and great character development.
It addresses multiculturalism naturally as it should without a bang or huge fanfare. There’s even an introduction to Spanish imbedded in the midst of this little tome. Ah … and red and blue do make purple (have to read the book). There’s also a map at the beginning of the book that I felt compelled to go back to as the story progressed and the think kids will, too. Ellefson does a great job with pacing as well as he throws increasingly difficult challenges at our young protagonist until the climatic end. Highly recommended for the kiddies!
The beginning of the story starts with Alvin’s grandson and his friends.. It was confusing to go from them to Alvin … There needs to be a segue into the fact that Alvin is telling his own story.
You are what you eat! I love this! If you only eat junk food then all your colors drain. Alvin makes friends along the way in the land without color. He travels all over trying to figure out how to restore color to the world.
The ending comes back around to Brandon and his friends… Which would have been great if there had been any fade in or out with them throughout the book. Also, time apparently had no meaning. Alvin only slept twice I think and they meandered around the kingdom like they were walking around a small town. With that said, I think people of all ages will enjoy reading about The Land Without Color. My enjoyment of the story is why I am rating it at 4 stars instead of 3.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
Along with being a page-tuner it was funy and had a happly ever after.
I really liked this book a lot. It was a quick read with lovable characters (Alvin’s the best and bravest of them all). I love books where animals talk. It was quite an adventure that kept me guessing. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series.