Justin and the Magic Stone

A "tween" book that should also resonate with adults, Justin and the Magic Stoneis a gorgeously illustrated story about a boy learning to accept the fact that he isgrowing up. Justin has just moved to a new town where he doesn''t know anyone. Hemisses his best friend, Tom, and spends his lonely days daydreaming about his formerlife. One day, after discovering a vaguely heart-shaped stone, he realizes that hecan suddenly hear the voices of all the creatures in the yard. He begins to hearsomething else in their words: a call to a new life and a new way of seeing things.Over the summer, Justin and his new friends map out the yard and its environs. Oneday, while using a magnifying glass, Justin suddenly tumbles through the glass andinto a miniature world he never knew existed around him. There, he meets andbefriends Barney Beetle and Artie Ant, who lead him on many adventures around theyard, including getting swept up on a milkweed seed and landing in a bird''s nest.Later, Justin soars through the garden on the wings of a beautiful yellow butterfly,who becomes a close friend. After returning to his normal size, Justin finds himselfcontemplating his reflection in the mirror, puzzled by the physical changes he seesappearing there. Again, he falls through the glass, and explores the "reverse world"of the new house. In the meantime, he discovers that he is changing on the inside aswell. Finally, after playing with the stone one day in the yard, he realizes he canconnect with his former pal, Tom, just by thinking of him. What''s more, once they''retogether, they discover they can use the stone to walk through a telescope into awhole new place, even onto the surface of the moon! As Justin''s summer comes to anend, he realizes that soon he must begin classes at a new school. But first, hereunites with all his friends from the yard, along with his old friend, Tom. Herealizes the stone has taught him to see and hear things in a new way; and that --just by thinking about them -- he can be transported back to this magical summerwhen he first began to listen to the voice of things.