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Rod Townley
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The Great Good Thing Paperback – October 1, 2002

by Roderick Townley (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 73 ratings
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Sylvie had an amazing life, but she didn't get to live it very often.
Sylvie has been a twelve-year-old princess for more than eighty years, ever since the book she lives in was first printed. She's the heroine, and her story is exciting -- but that's the trouble. Her story is always exciting in the same way. Sylvie longs to get away and explore the world outside the confines of her book.
When she breaks the cardinal rule of all storybook characters and looks up at the Reader, Sylvie begins a journey that not even she could have anticipated. And what she accomplishes goes beyond any great good thing she could have imagined...
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Print length
    240 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Lexile measure
    620L
  6. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.7 x 7.63 inches
  7. Publisher
    Atheneum Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    October 1, 2002
  9. ISBN-10
    0689853289
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0689853289
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"This clever, deftly written first novel gives life to Princess Sylvie and her cohorts, characters from an out-of-print and rarely read fairy tale, by having them cross over to the dreams of Readers," said PW, calling it "as much a romantic paean to reading and writing as it is a good story." Ages 10-up. (Oct.) n
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

James Howe I read the first sentence of "The Great Good Thing, " and it was love at first sight. Here is a stunningly original story, full of beautifully crafted words, ideas that crackle with intelligence, and characters who literally step off the pages and into the readers' minds and hearts. A timeless treasure for all ages.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (October 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0689853289
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0689853289
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 620L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.7 x 7.63 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 73 ratings

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Rod Townley

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
73 global ratings
Book arrived torn to shreds.
1 Star
Book arrived torn to shreds.
Unbelievably disappointed. The book arrived torn to shreds. Furious.
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Top reviews from the United States

Saelindwyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Incredible
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
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I read this book as a kid but had to return it to the library before finishing it. I went to the library in my hometown earlier this year and remembered it. I couldn't remember what it was called so I scoured the internet for it, searching any term I thought might help me find it. It took a couple weeks but I finally found it, and bought it here immediately. Reading it as an adult it still holds up, and the ending was so sweet and perfect. I finally got to finish it after like 20ish years. The plot is so unique and creative, I was losing my mind. Beautifully written, funny, and sentimental; I could go on. This book is truly a Great Good Thing.
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M. Lilliquist
5.0 out of 5 stars depth and imagination
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2008
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After reading A Great Good Thing, which Santa delivered to my nine-year-old daughter for Christmas, I was not surprised at all to read on the dust jacket that the author is also a poet. Townley has written an engaging tale that plays with the borders of imagination, memory, and fiction; yet the human elements and characters are solid and real. Even though the story is far-fetched, the emotions run true.

Like so many of the best children's books, this story satisfies different audiences at different levels. At one level, it is a tale of adventure and humor and friendship. At another level, it is a study in character, maturation, and personality as guides to one's path in life. It is a story of growing old and of staying young, and a story of love across the generations from mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter.

The central "trick" of the A Great Good Thing is that the characters in a book are like actors who actually live out their lives in the story even when the book is closed, and that they then act out the story whenever the book is being read. Princess Sylvie, the protagonist of the story book named "A Great Good Thing," is also the protagonist of Townley's book, also called "A Great Good Thing"! The fate of the characters is thus tied to the fate of the book in which they live; when the book is forgotten or destroyed, the same fate befalls them. But the second "trick" of A Great Good Thing is that people, even fictional people, live on in one's heart and memory. Thus, this is also the story of Claire, Claire's grandmother, and Claire's daughter -- readers of Princess Sylvie's story.

So, you can sit back and enjoy this as a good children's book, full of imagination and storybook elements, suitable for ages 8 - 14. But readers of any age can also enjoy the depth and intelligence of the emotions. Townley's book may not be the greatest book ever, but it is certain a great good thing.
7 people found this helpful
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B. DeVries
5.0 out of 5 stars Closed Cover
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2009
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What happens to the characters in a book when the reader closes the cover? The back-up lighting comes on, and the characters resume their regular lives. They travel through the book, but not beyond those pages... unless they can manage to remain in a reader's memory. This story has a very creative theme and the author seems to be a person who truly loves the English language.

I started reading this one aloud to my children even before I finished reading it to myself, which is something I usually don't do with chapter books. I loved the ending, but I was so glad to find that it's not the end of the story because there is a sequel!
2 people found this helpful
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Lynne Gie
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019
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Such a beautifully written and imaginative book. There are themes of adventure, family relationships, old age and youth and growing up. The plot constantly brings fresh surprises, and is very moving. I could not put this down. Next time I need a gift for a younger reader, this will be it!
One person found this helpful
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Kelsey McAtee
4.0 out of 5 stars -"The wilderness is littered with forgotten stories that will never be retold."-
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2016
Timeless, enchanting, and beautifully original. Do you ever wonder what happens to your favorite characters after you stop reading their story? Does the story live on after it is forgotten or does it fade away without a reader to bring it to life? Step into The Great Good Thing and discover the tale of a beloved cast of characters fight for survival against the tides of memory.
One person found this helpful
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Linda E. Duvall
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the most creative concepts for a book ever ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2015
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one of the most creative concepts for a book ever - you will always think differently about every book you read afterwards
2 people found this helpful
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chicken little
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015
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love the story!
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CookieBooky
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is truly a great, good thing
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2007
The Great Good Thing is exactly what the title says - it's a great good thing! The first step to enjoying this book is to suspend belief. If you can approach with the notion that this is a fantasy/fairy tale and not a true story, the book becomes a much easier read.

Sylvie is a princess in a story. But she is actually real. When the book opens, the characters have to be in their places and reprise their roles many times over. Sylvie is adventurous, though, and wants to see what the world is like beyond the margins of her book.

Sylvie meets the only reader of the story that she's ever known. What will happen when that reader gets older and forgets about Sylvie, her family and their friends.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of describing what it would be like if a character in a book was an actual person. How many times have you described a book as if the characters were real? TV characters, etc.? There are so many characters that I've come to love as if they were real, so this was a wonderful premise.

There was just enough detail and complexity to give the sense of actually being a part of a story, then a part of someone's subconscious. I love that the original author helped her characters to continue on in so many ways. There were parts that weren't always easy to understand but my connection to the characters and the story were strong enough to let go and realize that I may not understand it all. On re-reading, things became clearer.

If you prefer books with realistic characters in real-life settings, this is not the book for you. Or if you are looking for your standard, princess, fairy-tale fare, this may also not be for you. But if you would like to take a fun, fancy-filled ride through the words on a page and then off its margins with a brave and curious princess then this is the book for you.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mrs. N. Page
4.0 out of 5 stars This is making for very pleasant bedtime cuddles :)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2015
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Lovely book to share as a family
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N A Wolf
4.0 out of 5 stars Love
Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2023
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I gave up finding this book in a thrift store. Just as I remembered it when thought the cover is a my
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