The Forgotten Door

Rating:
Summary: A Forgotten Book....
Review: I had read this book when I was young, but had forgotten it (although every once and awhile, a niggling recollection of the book or its cover might float through my mind while I was thinking of children's books).

My sister teaches reading to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, and called me last spring to tell me that she was using one of 'my books' for her fifth and sixth graders - and that it was so good that they were asking if they could stay in from recess to hear 'the rest'!

I went searching for a copy and the whole story came back to me in a flood as I read the first chapter. It's a delightful book that makes us really think about differences, about kindness, about the way we live and see our world ... I think it can be a springboard to all sorts of questions and reflections for the children who read the book. And as a confirmed omnivore, while I may disagree with some of the 'takes' that Keys has in terms of animals - I still find the book delightful.

Rating:
Summary: A wise little gem
Review: I read this book when I was a VERY young child, and had almost forgotten it until I saw it in a used book bin, and immediately bought it, took it home and read it.

I was astonished to discover that many ethical and moral ideas that I sort of thought were mine - ways of looking at the world and waysof understanding other people - I had actually learned from this children's book. But there it was: written in "The Forgotten Door", by Alexander Key: things I had said myself all my life and statements that I had made all my life. And I had no idea that this simple little book was where I had actually got them from in the first place. I was amazed to realize what a large, large influence this book had actually been.

What a wonderful job Mr. Key has done. If you give this book to your child, it will change them. And it's a great read, too.

Rating:
Summary: The Forgotten Door
Review: I remember finding this book when I was in 6th grade in my homeroom. I used to read anything and everything but this was a favorite story of mine. I asked the teacher for it and she was kind enough to say Yes and let me have it (I still do). I think the copy I have is from the 50s printed by Scholastic Books. :) I really enjoyed how the tale was told. How John can talk to animals and do other things that possibly we humans could if we just tried ;) Later I read The People by Zenna Henderson. Very similar story... I wonder if she was influenced by Key's work or if that was a common theme at the time. Her "People" are very similar to John's from The Forgotten Door. I recommend both highly.

Rating:
Summary: Good beyond words.
Review: Long ago in public school children used to be able to order from Scholastic Book Service and than wait anxiously for the shipment to come directly to your classroom. Alexander Key's 'The Forgotten Door' was one of the gems available. Not exactly science fiction and not pure drama, The Forgotten Door transported a child to an America now seemingly gone, populated with characters humble and strong, clear-eyed in their morality. The action centers around a family thrust into a maelstrom of fear and uncertainty when they befriend a boy who has amnesia and is strange, and different. He can communicate with animals and can jump six foot fences, and read people's minds. Before long his difference is noted and attracts attention from unsavory elements in our society. The Bean Family attempts to protect the boy and the action takes off. Alexander Key has a touch for the small detail that contributes to authenticity--the elder Bean limps --a reminder of a foreign war. The surprising and heartwarming ending will have you and your children reading this book.

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Summary: This is a fantastic introduction to speculative fiction
Review: The Forgotten Door has to be one of the very first SF books I ever read. I still have my copy, an old paperback from the 1960s or 1970s. I used to read this book over and over again when I was a kid. It had drama, suspense, a sense of wonder, mystery. All the stuff that would keep a kid on the edge of his (or her) chair, turning the page. In fact, it was a great book to read late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping. I used up a few flashlights on this one.

Alexander Key's book should be considered one of the all-time best fantasy/science fiction novels for kids (it's not really a genre-specific story). Heck, I even recommend it for adults. That old paperback is one book I just can't bring myself to part with.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: Years ago, when I was in elementary school, I read and re-read this book. I never forgot the sense of excitment and wonder it conveyed. Recently I found a copy and went through it again, and was delighted to see that it is as good or better as I remembered. As well as writing a highly entertaining story, the author comments on "the way things are" and questions why they have to be that way. Things we have all learned to live with, like hate, distrust, greed, and dishonesty are seen through the eyes of a boy from a world where none of those things exist. The main characters are ones that can be liked and related to, which is hard to find in many books. Also, the book pulled me in, so that I felt I was sharing the discovery and adventure of a different world and viewpoint rather than just looking in. It is a wonderful and worthwhile read, regardless of age.