Howell, Alice O. The Beejum Book. Bell Pond Books, 2002. ISBN 978-0880105057 309 pp. $

***

Heavy-handed messages aside, The Beejum Book by Alice O. Howell is an adventurous read. The chapters alternate between Teak’s life as she travels around Europe with her parents and her nightly journeys in the mysterious world of Beejumstan. The lessons that Teak learns (this is where the heavy-handed messages come in) are interesting and important, about becoming an individual, staying true to oneself, and being brave, just to name a few.

I think that an author with a little more experience could have integrated these things into the story a little more smoothly. This is a book that I will recommend to fantasy readers, especially those who read above grade level and need something that is challenging but still content appropriate.