Review: This is why I read and Why I encourage EVERYONE to do so!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 12, 2013
How does author Brian Clopper create his quirky and FUN tales, aim them toward a younger audience and completely captivate this not-so-young-reader??  How does he flesh out his characters to be so completely endearing, yet fun, brave, flawed and totally unique?  Believe it or not, Mr. Clopper tells us in his own clever way with his novel Irving Wishbutton and the Questing Academyand he manages to do so while being completely entertaining and whisking the reader off to a world where anything can, and just may happen!Irving Wishbutton started as an idea in the mind of his author.  He had no name, no face, he was a `smudge,' just a shadow of the character he would become, so naturally, he must be enrolled in the Questing Academy, a newbie in the world of fictitious characters!  He really doesn't understand who or what he is or how he just `knows' some things, like what a dog is.  Irving learns he will `graduate' from the Academy when/if his book is published.  Of course, authors have `real' lives, too, and Irving's author frequently takes breaks from writing to do `real world' things, things revolving around his family, things that obviously help fuel his creative mind!  Have you ever wondered how characters get their names?  How their personalities are created?  How they evolve from a `smudge' into "well-developed and fleshed out characters who feel real?"  How about the plot?  The twists, the turns, the change in direction, the lessons learned, do you think they are the sole workings of the author?  Just maybe, this is a joint effort between author and the characters!In his own way, Brian Clopper has probably created the best "How to Write" book ever, and he did it in a fun way, full of surprises, full of characters, twists, turns and tons of imagination!  Younger readers will love this leap into a world full of fantasy where the mind can run free!  Books like this spread the joy of the written word to all ages and just MAY spur a young reader into becoming a young author!I need to thank both Brian Clopper and Irving Wishbutton (and probably Mr. Clopper's family) for allowing me the chance to read and get lost in this book!