I used to love reading game books. The sense that one could determine the outcome of the story, the thrill of flipping pages back and forth, and the chance to read “multiple stories” out of one book, all made for great fun.
Looking back, such books must have required extensive planning, and are much harder to put together than the usual straightforward story!
So when I opened Don Bosco’s “The Secret of the Chatter Blocks”, I appreciated how much thought must have gone into scripting the various routes that this little tale of adventure could take!
Miss 11 and Miss 9 were thrilled to have something new to read during the school holidays, and decided to read it and choose the paths together. When they are in a good mood, they really behave like best buds! Their verdict – the book was highly engaging and unique, since it was the first gamebook they’ve ever read!
Personally, I found the description of the Chatter Blocks quite enchanting. They are six-sided blocks about two inches high, with tiny bells inside. Invented in Egypt by an old Pharaoh, the bells produce various syllables when thrown like dice, which can be heard as phrases or words of advice!
It was also cool to hear of how Don came up with this book. I’ve always felt he was a super cool father, in addition to being the founder of “Super Cool Books”, and you can see why from his story on how the books were created:
My kids love to read. But turns out they don’t enjoy reading the same stuff. So they seldom discuss books. When it comes to games, though, wow, they really bond. They analyse levels together, exchange tips, watch each other play, plan future sessions, and all that. This is why two years back I was inspired to start producing gamebooks, also known as interactive fiction, to see if we could create something special together. My older son did all the illustrations, cover and inside, and my younger son tested all the story paths.
– Don Bosco, author
You can also read more about this book from this link, such as this excerpt:
This is a short TOY MYSTERY gamebook for young readers. You choose what happens. Kei and Will are students at the School of Amusement Arts in New Toy-ko City. They help Professor Felicity Nora investigate unusual cases involving toys and puzzles. A rare set of Chatter Blocks has been stolen. These Blocks talk when you roll them like dice. Help Kei and Will catch the thief and recover the Blocks. But careful, the Perplexity Gang is involved!
There are a few different endings. See if you can help the characters solve the case, catch the thief, and learn the secret of the Chatter Blocks. It can be read alone, in a group, or for bedtime reading. It introduces young readers to the interactive fiction genre.
I felt that this gamebook is perfect for younger readers from age 7, since its concise length makes it not daunting at all.
Also glad to learn from Don that after published this book, Penguin Random House got in touch to say they would publish three more gamebooks by him! How cool is that?! You can find out more about “Welcome to the Scramble”, book 1 of this new Last Kid Running series, here.
_____ AVAILABILITY
For now, physical copies of The Secret of the Chatter Blocks are only available for purchase online. It takes about 2 weeks to ship from the US. For SG, the best links are as provided below:
Note: Thanks Don, for sending a copy of this book over for review!
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