Up, Up and Away

I just finished "Twenty-One Balloons" by  William Pène du Bois, published in 1947 and awarded the Newbery Medal  in 1948.  I actually had listened to this on CD with the kids in the car while driving up to Bear Lake last year.  Because of many interruptions in the car, I wanted to read it again.  I had thoroughly enjoyed listening to it but I felt like I missed some of it with all the stopping and starting.  I don't know why kids have to talk to you so much, especially in the car. Anyway, I just finished and I still loved it.  It is a great book.  The imagery is so wonderful and the writing is amazing.  I loved how the descriptions caused such great pictures to appear in my mind.  I wish I was a screen writer so I could make this into a movie.  I think it would be fascinating.  I loved how they had a restaurant-style government, that each family changed their name to a letter of the alphabet, how each house was built after a theme of a country that started with the letter of their name.  The whole idea of balloon travel and the way it is described is, again, I will say, fascinating.  The imagery (I think I need a new word) of the island, as a volcano, and the ground rolling up and down was incredible.  It was entertaining for adults and kids.  I think it would be a good read-aloud for a class.  It is a short, quick read but thoroughly enjoyable.  One of my favorites.