Zelen’s debut proves a good read for all ages
by Jasmine Kim
Jennifer Zelen, owner of Jen’s Small Business Solutions, now has another title—author. Her first novel, The Adventurous Book of Adventure: What Happens When Kids Fall in a Hole, tells of a rather ordinary day turning into a particularly extraordinary one.
The kids in this novel, who range in age from four to 13, were supposed to be going on a camping trip together with their families, but when two of the kids, cousins Lucy and Jessica, disappear in the park, the other kids and their dogs go off in search of them. However, everyone ends up climbing down a hole in the park as they try and find Jessica and Lucy who have fallen down that same hole. Expecting to be in some kind of underground tunnel, the girls, boys, and dogs are actually in a different world, where they meet exciting new people and animals, and have to face obstacles in order to find their cousins and get home.
The villains the kids must face in this story were a particular highlight, as they were crafted in very readable ways, but also because they brought back fond memories for someone who hasn’t read a children’s novel where “bad guys” are defeated in quite some time.
“It was very fun to make up the villains,” said Zelen. “It is exciting to write about a person that you wouldn't actually want to be like. It also feels vindicating when they are foiled, and it was fun to think up ways that the kids—the heroes—could defeat them.
Additionally, Zelen’s style of writing from each character’s viewpoint was very endearing. It made it easy to observe each character’s progression—from Cupcake, the youngest, to Austin, the oldest. It’s also more entertaining to read these first hand accounts, especially when it came to the dogs’ and Cupcake’s perspectives.
Zelen credits her daughter as her inspiration for the story, and her family for supplying some neat ideas, which is apparent through all the kids’ adventures. This novel is ideal for a family reading night; anyone could enjoy this book, whether four or 64, as the characters are engaging, and the plot is filled with plenty of action.
This book is available for purchase at theadventurousbook.com or on Amazon.
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