Judy Crowder (Children's Literature)
Eleven-year-old David calls himself "the Amazing Invisible Boy." He lives in a world of loving but uncomprehending grown-ups--parents, aunts, uncles, grandmother and older sister-adult-wannabe who send him to boarding school, effectively living without him in their world. But that's all right, since David is really a preadolescent Walter Mitty who makes up adventures and loses himself in them. He is in the midst of such an adventure, involving "Percy-Us, Polly Deck-Tease and Gawgon (Gorgon)," when he becomes very ill and is sent home to recover. Desperate, his parents turn to Great Aunt Annie. "No one asked the Amazing Indivisible Boy's opinion. I would have told them that if I was doomed to be educated I preferred a total stranger, one I could shirk, dodge and bamboozle. Aunt Annie saw me all too clearly. My animal instinct warned me that she was not to be bamboozled." He immediately dubs her "Gawgon." Aunt Annie calls him "The Boy," and together they set out on educational adventures involving Shakespeare, the Mona Lisa (that's really Gawgon's smile, we learn), Sherlock Holmes and a short historical guy called "Bones Apart." Lloyd Alexander's book is both a find and a treat for anyone who has thought of him/herself as invisible--even briefly. Parents and teachers should grab this book with joy since it could lead to some fascinating history lessons as well as inspire creativity and imagination in even the most jaded of TV/Video-raised grade-schoolers. 2001, Dutton Children's Books/Penguin, $17.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2001 (Vol. 69, No. 6))
A sweet tale of imagination and intergenerational friendship on the cusp of the Depression. Eleven-year-old David, recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia, rejoices in the doctor's advice that he not return to school--until, that is, "Aunt" Annie, a true battleaxe, volunteers to tutor him. But David, a dreamy boy who loves to make up stories of derring-do (punctuating the text throughout and featuring himself), soon learns that The Gawgon's ("Gorgon") methodologies are perfect for him, as she feeds him an unconventional education hinging on stories that become further fuel for his imagination (she supplies the smile for a frustrated Leonardo's greatest work, among other feats). This is a departure for master fantasist Alexander ("How the Cat Swallowed Thunder", 2000, etc.), who here eschews a grand canvas in favor of close and affectionate portraits of the many quirky characters in David's life: his father, who plots to sell bottled water from the River Jordan (generously diluted with tap water) when his business fails; Uncle Eustace, the tombstone salesman; the doomsaying Aunt Rosie, one of whose frequent malapropisms gives rise to The Gawgon's nickname. At the center of this web of loving relationships is the one that grows between David and The Gawgon, the memory of which supports David after her death. While his family certainly feels the effects of the stock-market crash, David himself is largely insulated from it both by the strength of his relationships and by his ability to find a story in just about anything. Laced with gentle humor and sustained by David's voice ("I would have begged to be flogged, disemboweled, and forced to drink molten lead rather than returned to classes. I had some reluctance about being educated")--a quietly zany tribute to the power of stories. 2001, Dutton, $17.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 to 14. © 2001 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marie Salvadore (Parents Guide, Fall 2001 (Vol. 4, No. 1))
While he recuperates from a serious illness, his parents decide 11-year old David must be tutored at home. David secretly dubs elderly Aunt Annie the Gawgon (like the Gorgon with hair of snakes). But the Gawgon introduces David to Napoleon, Sherlock Holmes, and much more. This world of heroic tales stars none other than the Gawgon and The Boy, as David dubs himself, helping shape the artist and storyteller into which he will grow. The sometimes-sophisticated humor, allusion and structure of the novel are skillfully made accessible from David's point of view in a subtle, multi-layered novel. 2001, Dutton, $17.99. Ages 10 to 12.

Kate McDowell (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2001 (Vol. 54, No. 10))
David is deliriously ill with pneumonia in Depression-era Philadelphia; chapters about his illness and his relatives’ decisions about his care are interspersed with chapters of fantastic imagined adventures featuring David as protagonist. During his long convalescence, David is turned over to Aunt Annie, a retired schoolteacher, who is to oversee his education. He soon discovers that his elderly aunt, or the “Gawgon” (from Gorgon), as he comes to call her affectionately, is much more fun than she at first appears to be, and his studies become a delightful excuse for the convalescent David and his invalid aunt to enjoy each other’s company. Unfortunately, the characters and settings of the fantasy chapters vary widely for approximately the first half of the book, keeping the story of David’s recovery from gaining momentum, and once the fantasy chapters evolve into a recognizable framework they come to an abrupt end. The last segment of David’s story is packed to overflowing with poignant departures and sentimental events. Nevertheless, Aunt Annie’s unconventional teaching methods and unpredictable assignments may encourage readers to look beyond the unbalanced plot strands and to examine their own elderly relatives for the spark of humor that makes the Gawgon such an appealing companion. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2001, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2001, Dutton, 256p, $17.99. Grades 4-6.

Jan Gregory (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 14, No. 3))
In this fantasy, David is recuperating from a near fatal illness that causes him to stay out of school and be tutored. His elderly Aunt Annie volunteers for the teaching job. He decides from the beginning that he is not going to like this arrangement--he may have to work instead of draw and make up adventure stories. In the end, David is pleasantly surprised when Aunt Annie turns out to be the best teacher he has ever had. The story is told in first person through David's eyes. There is at least one of his creative stories starring himself and the Gawgon, his nickname for Aunt Annie, in each of the chapters. The story drags a little in the beginning but is a wonderful story that shows how two people can reach across the generation gap to become friends. Fiction. Grades 5-8. 2001, Dutton, 199p, $17.99. Ages 10 to 14.

Megan Isaac (VOYA, June 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 2))
Veteran author Alexander is at the top of his form in his latest novel. Although the story is set mundanely in Philadelphia on the cusp of the Great Depression, nothing is ordinary in eleven-year-old David's life. His extended family is full of extraordinary characters, including a father whose import business carries products that range from Mexican jumping beans to Oriental treasures. The wonderful stories David loves to invent in his mind are riddled with episodes wryly adapted from his favorite pirate novels and mythology, and in them, he is always a hero. Even David's education is unusual. After he survives a nasty case of pneumonia, David's ancient but sharp-eyed Aunt Annie is put in charge of his lessons while he recuperates. Under Aunt Annie's tutelage, David learns not only about Shakespeare, world history, and geometry but more importantly about perseverance, hope, and self-determination. Aunt Annie even encourages his love of drawing. Every afternoon that he spends with her becomes an adventure. The imaginary tales he spins take a new direction, as Aunt Annie becomes the protagonist and his greatest hero. Yet, as Aunt Annie has warned him many times, nothing stays the same. Even heroes are not exempt from human tragedy. Funny and poignant, filled with human eccentricities and love, Alexander's book can hardly fail to entertain. Experienced readers will enjoy the clever allusions and malapropisms that pepper the text; others might prefer David's bold spirit and headlong adventures. Nearly everyone will recognize and envy the rare relationship that develops between David and his aunt. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2001, Dutton, 256p, $17.99. Ages 11 to 14.