The Imagination Box

Gr 3–6—What if there were a machine that could create anything one imagined? Professor Eisenstone has such a machine. And Tim has the imagination. Together they have the ability to create magical, wondrous things. But when the professor goes missing, it is up to Tim and his friend Dee to rescue him and keep the Imagination Box out of the wrong hands. If they fail, the consequences could be disastrous. Plagued with two-dimensional, flat characters and a plot filled with giant leaps and deep holes, this title falls far short of expectations. The interesting premise never materializes into matter, unlike the fruits of Tim's imagination. At the heart of the story is a lonely boy who is often left to his own devices and a strange scientist who encourages the boy to keep secrets that place him in danger. Distrustful adults, including a police officer and clueless parental figures, hamper the story and impede the natural flow of the narrative.