Thought-Provoking Adventure

The Nameless World

Heather Payer-Smith

ISBN-13 9781461112655

Noah is the target of the school bullies every day. They taunt him, take his possessions and even hit him over the head with his own book!

The young protagonist is afraid to fight back, but when the bullies throw his favorite book into a mud puddle during recess he snaps and launches a rock at the biggest bully's head. A teacher comes at the sound of the bully's distressed cries and Noah hides behind a large oak tree.

It is there that he finds his missing science teacher's glasses and two mysterious puzzle pieces that transport him to another world. As Noah travels through this world trying to get back home he makes new friends, discovers an ecosystem with life-giving rivers and rescues native creatures from being eaten by bigger beasts. He also discovers that the humans of this world aren't well liked by the native creatures – for a very good reason: they are destroying the delicate ecosystem along with the creatures who depend on it.

Noah must find his way through this world to the Chatalbin who can send him home, and to do this he must find the courage within himself to brave the nameless world.

The Nameless World is an exciting and thought-provoking adventure that middle grade readers are sure to love.

Reviewed by Jennifer L. Stone