Noah cannot bear to live at home anymore. This eight year old decides to run away and on his journey he comes across some very interesting characters and an old man who helps him talk through his problems while telling Noah his own story.

This fairy tale journey that Noah takes unveils itself as the day goes on and Noah’s friendship with an old toymaker grows. At first, you do not know the reason that Noah has left home, but it soon becomes clear that something is going on with his mother. The Old Man (as he is referred to by Noah) tells Noah his own life story about how he let his father down and never forgave himself for not following through with his promises. This story is both magical and tragic and will surprise readers as they start to uncover the mysteries in the life of the toymaker (and his home) and for Noah.

The story goes back and forth between Noah’s story and the Old Man’s story; both of which were a joy to read. Hearing about the Old Man’s unbelievable fast running and Noah’s mother’s attempts to spend her last days with him were both interesting and exciting.

I really enjoyed this fairy tale and I was beyond surprised with how the two characters stories played out. Even though the events are tragic for Noah, the Old Man helps Noah to come to terms with the reality of his mother’s illness and eventually helps him to see that running away from his problems is not the answer. This would be a fantastic read for a tween book club and I think the group as a whole will love discussing the story. Also, this would be a fun read-aloud for a classroom maybe a few chapters a day.

Characters: Noah, The Old Man (Pinocchio).

Subjects: Adventure fiction, Fairy tale, Puppets, Runaways, Toymakers.

References: Book information, award information, and reviews retrieved from www.bwibooks.com. Accessed on November 2, 2011.

John Boyne. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from http://www.johnboyne.com/.