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Annabelle Franklin
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Gateway to Magic Kindle Edition

by Annabelle Franklin (Author), Bethan Hellings (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
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STEVEN IS A BOY WHO PLAYS TO WIN – BUT THIS IS NO GAME.
THIS IS AN ADVENTURE HE CAN’T CONTROL.
Steven Topcliff loves gaming but doesn’t believe in fairies or magic – until tricky cousin Tracy drags him away from his game console and gets him to press a red button on a mysterious stone they find in the local park. The stone turns out to be a one-way gateway to Fairyland, where nature rules supreme and technology is banned by law.
Lost without his video games, Steven struggles to survive in this scary new world. The inhabitants are dangerous, sometimes deadly. The Land itself is a living being that deals out instant magical punishments to lawbreakers. And the truth about Tracy is terrible indeed. Homesick and horrified, Steven is desperate to escape.
Ignorant of the rules, it’s not long before he breaks them and ends up in the custody of the ruthless Fairy Queen. He learns she’s the living power behind the Land and its creatures, and she has no intention of setting him free. He also suspects she’s not telling him her true reason for keeping him prisoner.
Whatever her game is, Steven isn’t about to play it her way.
His only chance of escape is to magic his own gateway home, so he attempts to build up some psychic muscle. The Queen uses all her guile to distract and torment him, and he lives in dread of being eaten alive by gruesome snake-like monsters that live in her garden; but the biggest block to his concentration is his own lack of faith. He still doesn’t believe it’s possible for a human being to do magic.
Can he believe in himself enough to forge the new gateway? And can he rely on the few friends he’s made to help him outwit the Queen?
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    7 - 11 years
  2. Print length
    316 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    January 20, 2013
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gateway to Magic by Annabelle Franklin was a cute, quick read with some valuable lessons within. I shared this book with my little ones, who absolutely loved it. From their point of view it was 'awesome'. The author did a wonderful job of painting the scenes, making things very easy to visualise, most especially the Forest of Pointy Fingers! I love it when authors bring a story to life by word-painting, and Franklin doesn't disappoint! Franklin's Gateway to Magic is perfectly tailored to its target audience, as my brood can well attest. They all loved it, and we'll be reading it again for sure!" - J. Aislynn d'Merrickson for Readers' Favorite

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B3T3QGW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pearlswood Publishing; 4th edition (January 20, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1600 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1530767083
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

About the author

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Annabelle Franklin

Annabelle Franklin

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Annabelle Franklin is the author of two children's books, 'Gateway to Magic' and 'The Slapstyx'. Her short story 'Mercy Dog' has been published in award-winning anthology 'Unforgotten: The Great War 1914-1918' (Accent Press). She is a member of Swansea and District Writers' Circle, and her short story 'Haunted by the Future' appears in the Circle's 2016 horror anthology 'Dark Gathering'.

Annabelle lives on South Wales's stunning and magical South Gower coast. She shares her chalet home with two rescued sighthounds.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Susan Lattwein
5.0 out of 5 stars Amuse yourself whilst reading to the kids...
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
This story threw me back to Enid Blyton, but the snappy, witty dialogue gives a wink to adults reading it aloud. If I was still teaching, my young students and I would be settling down to this imaginative story in the classroom. Fiction is compellingly woven as fact (yes, I believe!) and Annabelle knows what makes children laugh. I particularly liked the bit about being the age you want to be, the Forest of Pointy Fingers and the ShapeWatchers Program.
2 people found this helpful
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D.L. Finn
4.0 out of 5 stars I know my granddaughter will enjoy this fun story as much as I did.
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2022
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A fun story for middle-grade readers about a spoiled boy, Steven, who has everything he could want. Steven spends his time playing video games until one day he sees something unusual in his game that makes sense later. His cousin Tracy talks him into going into the forest and presses that red button that says Do Not Push. Steven ends up in Fairy Land, where everything differs from what he knows. This reminded me a bit of Dorothy trying to get home in the “Wizard of Oz” mixed with the whimsy of “Alice in Wonderland.” I loved the characters he ran into along his journey. My favorite was Nigel, the shapeshifter. Technology is banned in this new land of magic, which makes it hard for Steven to navigate. The food he eats has unusual side-effects, and he has some lessons to learn along the way. The Fairy Queen is supposed to give him the job he is required to do to earn his keep. She is another fun character, and I liked her realm, but he has some miles to travel to get there. I bought this to give to my granddaughter and I know she will enjoy this magical tale as much as I did.
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Olivia Nordyke
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2014
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When I started to read this, I thought it would be a weird book, but as I got into it I really started liking it. Love the ending, but the bunny trail ending kills me!!!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great kids book
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2013
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I am reading this book to my son and he really likes it. Great descriptions and a wonderful plot. It is a fun read
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Angelbear
5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2016
Main characters – Steven the human, Nigel the shapeshifter, The fairy Queen and Mr Fildew the Queens Dungeon master.

Places – Earth and Fairyland

What story is about – Steven get mad tricked into pushing back the button that will send him to fairyland by his cousin Tracy.
After spending some time there and getting tricked by nasty goblins and a mischievous shape shifter, Steven just wants to go home but can't find anyone to help him. After Steven steals cakes from the fairy market he ends up in the Forrest of pointy fingers to be punished.
He eventually gets out of it and becomes the fairy queens consultant hoping that she will send him home.

My Review – Even though this is a children's book I did enjoy reading it to my daughter.
The author has a really good imagination and I think a younger person would have been totally engrossed in the magical world of fairies and goblins.
My daughter loved the Sock worms and Fairy queen.
The characters and places are fun and certainly magical and even though Steven faces real danger he manages to get out of it.
It gives the advice through way of punishment that if you do something wrong you should work out why it is wrong, learn form it and change yourself so you don't do it again.
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Colleen M. Chesebro
4.0 out of 5 stars If you love fairy tales like I do, you will enjoy this sweet and imaginative tale.
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2016
The Gateway to Magic is a delightful fairy tale filled with secrecy and intrigue that is sure to delight young and old.

Steven is a young boy who loves playing video games. When his cousin, Tracy, tricks him into pressing a hidden red button found on a stone they discover in the forest, the gates to fairyland are flung open. Steven finds himself living inside a realm filled with goblins, shapeshifters, and other scary beings. Hang on kids; we’re in for a wild ride.

One of the first entities Steven meets is Nigel, the shapeshifter, who seems to change into different figures that he can’t seem to control. I got many laughs out of the unusual things he changed himself into. However, Nigel’s character has a role. He becomes a friend and confidant of Steven and is instrumental in helping him to find a way out of fairyland. Nigel was my favorite character. Steven treated him badly, and still the little shapeshifter remained loyal.

All Steven wants to do is return to his home. Being a human in fairyland is a foreign experience. Ridiculed and made fun of by the fairies and the rest of the elemental beings, Steven has a hard time coping. At one point, Steven is starving because he doesn’t have a job. He steals some sweets to eat, and the Fairy Queen relegates him to the Forest of Pointy Fingers where he must bear his punishment. The only way out is to face up to the error of his ways.

It is when Steven realizes that it was wrong to steal that he leaves the forest of Pointy Fingers and meets Mr. Fildew, the Queen’s Dungeon Master. He is an organic type of creature who suffers from the power of suggestion. Finally, Steven meets the Fairy Queen, and she makes him her consultant. The three characters, Steven, Nigel, and Mr. Fildew have lessons they must learn to proceed in their lives in their fantasy world and beyond.

I guess that’s what I enjoyed most about this tale. You could read it with your younger children, and it would prompt great discussions on values and deep thoughts about growing up. Annabelle Franklin is a children’s writer, and I believe she throws the proper elements in her fantasy novel to encourage imagination in all kids.

If you love fairy tales like I do, you will enjoy this sweet and imaginative tale. Take your time, and by all means, read it with your children. They will love it!

*I voluntarily reviewed a Reader’s Copy of this book*

My Rating:
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 4
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 4
Overall Rate: 4 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from other countries

prolific reader
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that grows through perfect bedtime reading to "read it yourself"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2013
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This is for all children who love gaming, and all the parents who never really grew up and are still entranced by the magic of the classic fairytales and the "other worlds" of Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree. Annabelle Franklin has the rare gift of being able to enter a child's mind. Stephen is a "hero" every boy and girl will identify with. His struggle against the absolute rule and authority of the Fairy Queen mesmerizing. And don't worry, boys will love this Fairy Queen - there's nothing girly or soft about her.
This is storytelling at its best. A book to read and re-read that will become a favourite in the tradition of the classics. I loved it, and as a "test pilot" for the books I buy my grandchildren I am one hundred per cent certain they will. I can't wait for their next bedtime.
2 people found this helpful
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SteveJones
4.0 out of 5 stars 'a really good story'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2013
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I would say the author, Annabel Franklin is not mad on computer games, but she does know about them. She puts this knowledge to use by giving the notion of immersive gaming a whole new spin. The `hero' Steven Topcliffe becomes so immersed in his console shooter that he finds himself inside the game unable to escape, at least not without learning a whole new set of rules. One of his anguished discoveries is that the normal logic of gaming, the availability of power-ups, option to save the game and restart etc., doesn't apply if his nemesis, a mischievous dwarf decides it doesn't. My nephew, aged ten, and an avid gamer pointed out that this wasn't fair. This didn't stop him monopolising his mother's Kindle for two days while he read it and pronouncing it 'a really good story'. It also prompted a nice discussion on the differences between real life, which doesn't have incidental music, power-ups, and a save game facility, and video games. We eventually decided video games were not fair and incidental music in real life would be very helpful.
4 people found this helpful
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Robert Shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Childrens Literature & GOOD FUN
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2013
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As an English teacher to younger learners I will certainly be able to make use of this wonderful book in class. Its very imaginative and fun for the teacher too. Beautifully and funnily written by a great author, thank you Annabelle and good luck.
2 people found this helpful
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Fiona Riley
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a Gateway to Magic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2013
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This is a great book for children and adults alike and kept me turning my virtual pages. Really well written and entertaining. Loved it.
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