Silver Shoes
Book Club Picks

Book Club Picks: Silver Shoes

Donald, "Donny," Gardner is just about to start sixth grade and he's totally bummed. He's not bummed about school, he's actually managed to score the "cool" teacher and have both his best friends in his class. He's bummed because he has nothing exciting to share with his classmates about his summer vacation. Well, his mom did buy some strange silver shoe off a crazy lady in Kansas for one hundred and sixty bucks, but that's it.

Little does Donny know that his sneaky show-and-tell of the Silver Shoe will turn into a nightmare, a kidnapping, a fortune, and an opening to a whole other world! As his family's safety is severely threatened and his own sanity is questioned, a stranger by the name of George Clarke shows Donny that they have much, much more to worry about; specifically, the fate of the world which now rests in their hands.

Book Club Picks: Silver Shoes Opinion

What?!

That's how I felt when I first caught on to the premise of this novel. I wasn't expecting a fantasy story that would bring The Wizard of Oz to life, but that's exactly what Paul Miles Schneider does.

As soon as I knew that I was reading fantasy, where anything is possible, I began to really enjoy the book. The tale is fast-paced and easy to read. As a matter of fact, I think this book could easily fit in the Young Adult section. There are good guys and bad guys, a few chase scenes, evil sorcery, talking animals, and a twelve-year old hero. What more could a young reader look for in an adventure?

I wouldn't recommend this book to female book clubs unless more than half the group had a decent interest in the Wizard of Oz. However, it would be a great book for a teen book club as well as any fan of Frank Baum. I'm pretty sure there will be more adventures for Donny and his gang, so I can see this becoming a series of interest to the fantasy-lover!

Book Club Picks: Silver Shoes Discussion Questions

1. Is anything like this remotely possible, other worlds or dimensions that are kept secret by the government?
2. Did you think Donny's father was a bad father? Why or why not?
3. Did you feel that this book was written for an adult or teen audience? Why?

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