One of my goals for this summer has been to elevate the place of family reading. In particular, the book(s) I chose to help with this is N.D. Wilson’s 100 Cupboards. This three-part series appears to have something for all of our kids, from the younger ones (age 7) up to our teenager.
The first book did not disappoint. We jammed through it in record pace. It was highly requested each day, by multiple people (including my wife).
Here is the general story: A young, sheltered, under-confident, timid boy is moved from his boarding school and nanny in Boston to his cousins’ home in Kansas. This is due to the fact that his parents, who are far more professional than paternal as they travel the world, have ended up getting themselves kidnapped in South America. This sounds a lot worse than it is. I know I was hesitant about plugging this type of drama into my living room. However, aside from setting the context, it did not play a major part in the story. It served to be the means by which Henry comes to Kansas.
The key to describing Henry’s time in Kansas is discovery. He discovers everything from grass to sun to baseball to knives. He learns how to laugh and to toughen up. But most of all he discovers a new world. Or at least, he discovers a means to another world.
Under the plaster in his room there are 99 cupboards. These cupboards are not large enough for a person to fit through but are sizable enough to put your hand in or peer into. After significant adventure Henry and his cousin Henrietta discover the new world through a cupboard in his grandfather’s room.
I am not going to go into much more detail than this because I know that some readers of this blog are planning to read the books themselves.
But let me just reference a couple of other items.
The Writer: N.D. Wilson is a fantastic writer. He is almost artistic in the way he paints a scene. Multiple times I would stop in my reading to ask what a room or a person looked like. It was amazing to hear of how Wilson was painting these characters and scenes in our minds. Furthermore, he is very thoughtful and careful about development. Everything moves at a suitable cadence. Even though there was a substantial amount of build up about Kansas, in the end it really seemed important. I was thankful to learn about this new town.
Intensity: Some people object to these books because they can be a bit scary. I will grant you this. There are some parts that are a bit intense and frightening. However, I did not find it overboard or above what our family could handle. Other families may be different. You have to make your own call.
Magic: Another criticism, particularly from Christians, is the presence of magic and witches. The whole premise pivots on a world outside of ours where things don’t happen like they do here. At the end of the book a villain does appear. And she is a witch. These becomes items to talk through as a family not necessarily avoid. If you allow your kids to read Lord of the Rings you probably won’t (shouldn’t) have a problem with these books.
The next morning after finishing the book multiple people in my house asked when we were starting the next book Dandelion Fire. We ordered it for our Kindle yesterday and began last night. The adventure continues!
Book 1 of the 100 Cupboards Series is available at Amazon (Kindle Store Also).
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