Robert Hansen

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Griffith Gruffly has always relied on his own power to intimidate his fellow students by his dominating will, and he considers himself the best at what he does. He is, quite simply, a bully.

When he arrives at school one morning to discover that the substitute teacher is a frail looking old man, he anticipates bullying him, too. It doesn't work quite the way Griff expects, however.

The old man, "the whisperer," begins to tell the class a story, and show more inexplicably draws Griff into a very strange adventure. He finds himself in a dense fog. He has no idea where he is, and doesn't know how to get back home. He tries demanding that the Whisperer send him back, but the old man has disappeared.

When the fog lifts, Griff wanders through a strange land, and comes upon a village where he meets very different people and even a creature known as a Grizzbull, resembling a dragon, who turns out to be the worst bully of all. No one pays any attention to Griff, except the great, tormenting Grizzbull.

What happens when a bully gets bullied? Griff is about to find out.

This inspirational story with a strong moral base will appeal to 8 to 12-year-olds, with its rich fantasy and compelling characters. show less

Excellent maps, and most of the plates are photographs, with some illustrations for rarer species. I just wish the maps and plates referenced each others' pages and the text descriptions. The text does refer to the maps and plates.

I found this on the library New shelf. Will most likely end up buying. However, it is quite large and heavy (because it is very complete!) and I cannot imagine carrying it around for reference as it suggests.