The Silver Door. Terry Griggs. Vancouver, BC: Raincoast Books, 2004. 186 pp., pbk., $12.95. ISBN 1-55192-685-7. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Kristin Butcher. ***/4

excerpt:

Olivier quickly introduced his friend to the ghost. (How do you don’t, Linnet almost said!), and explained how Murray had been stolen from right under their noses and how they desperately needed to get through this door to rescue him.

Peely only shrugged and said, “Shouldn’t be a problem, if it can be opened from inside. I don’t know why, but I can walk through solid surfaces now. It’s strange.”

Olivier and Linnet exchanged glances, but kept mum.

Peely then stepped up to the door – the silver was highly polished, reflective as a mirror – and walked through it. A moment later the door slid open, and Peely stood within a small dimly lit compartment, a bashful smile of triumph on his face.

The Silver Door is a sequel to Terry Grigg’s novel, Cat’s Eye Corner. Without missing a beat, this second installment continues with ten-year-old Olivier’s experiences at the rather unusual home of his grandfather and step-step-stepgramma, Sylvia de Whosit of Whatsit. At the close of his first week of holidays, Olivier has already completed an exciting scavenger hunt and is now about to embark on another thrilling, albeit strange, adventure arising (literally) from the pages of an amazing book of facts given to him by his step-step-stepgramma. Enquire Within Upon Everything, the title of this weighty tome, not only contains information about anything one might want to know, but its entries have the ability to pop right out of the book, which is exactly what ghostly Peely Wally does. The only problem is he can’t seem to climb back in again. Likewise, a wisp of smoke with attitude escapes from the page on volcanoes, while an ink monkey hops out of another section of the book. When the monkey makes off with Murray Schaeffer, Olivier’s wisecracking fountain pen chum, the game is on. Olivier, Peely Wally, the free-spirited wisp of smoke, and Linnet (a friend from the scavenger hunt) set off to rescue Murray. In keeping with the always-odd goings-on at Cat’s Eye Corner, their quest takes them to bizarre places peopled with equally bizarre characters who further complicate their quest – though of course, everything works out in the end.

     As with Cat’s Eye Corner, word play and literary/cultural allusion are integral to the story; however, where the cleverness of the first novel seemed more appropriate for an adult audience, the word fun in this second book can be appreciated by children as well. Similarly, the plot of this sequel is more focused, ensuring young readers never forget the point of the group’s mission no matter how many side trips they take. Some parts of the book – like the kitchen appearing out of nowhere – don’t seem to add anything to the story, but the beauty of fantasy lies in the fact that things don’t have to make sense as long as they titillate the imagination. On the other hand, some more important facets of the story – such as Peely Wally’s ghostly existence and reluctance to return to the appropriate page of Enquire Within Upon Everything – are too conveniently explained away, leaving this reader feeling the situation was hokey and therefore not credible. Admittedly, a ten-year-old audience might not be quite as critical.

     Readers who liked Cat’s Eye Corner will undoubtedly enjoy Olivier’s continued adventures in The Silver Door. Considering this installment consumes only a single day of Olivier’s holiday, one has to wonder if Griggs has a third book planned.

Recommended.

Kristin Butcher lives in Victoria, BC, and writes for children.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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