The Gateway (1) (Leven Thumps) (U)

WELCOME TO FOO.Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. "Lev") lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?Publishers WeeklyOriginally published by Shadow Mountain in Salt Lake City, Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye, illus. by Ben Sowards, is now being distributed in hardcover by Simon & Schuster, which is publishing this title as an Aladdin paperback . This YA fantasy about an Oklahoma orphan who finds the secret gateway to Foo, a mythical land where it is possible for humans to hope, dream and imagine, has already sold more than 60,000 copies in hardcover. The second title in the planned five-book series, Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret, will release in October. See Children's Bookshelf, June 1, for the complete story. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.