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48th out of 111 books
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The Forgotten Door
Jon, a boy from another world, accidentally falls through a forgotten door to Earth, losing his memory, but retaining his ability to communicate with animals and hear people s thoughts. He is warned of danger by a deer, and narrowly escapes peril throughout his adventure. He happens upon the farm of kindly Mary and Thomas Bean. Jon s supernatural abilities are almost immed...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
December 1st 1986
by Scholastic Apple
(first published 1965)
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Jeannie
rated it
This is absolutely my favorite book from childhood! I still have my copy from 4th grade. As my children grew, they read it and loved it, too. It is somewhat of a family treasure and must be returned to the shelf each time it is put down for a break.
The Forgotten Door is Science Fiction for children as it should be written. Key doesn't dismiss the struggle between good and evil and he openly addresses the problems that attend forming opinions without knowledge and judging someone n...more
The Forgotten Door is Science Fiction for children as it should be written. Key doesn't dismiss the struggle between good and evil and he openly addresses the problems that attend forming opinions without knowledge and judging someone n...more
"[Thomas Bean] drew forth the knife and clip [belonging to Jon, the strange boy]... As he studied them again, he began to whistle softly through his teeth.
"'Out with it,' said Mary [his wife]. 'Are the gems [set in the handle and clip] real?'
"'They're real. I can't quite believe it. Jon, have you any idea what these things are worth?'
"Little Jon looked at him intently. 'They are not worth what you think they are, Mr. Bean. You're thinking they're worth more tha...more
"'Out with it,' said Mary [his wife]. 'Are the gems [set in the handle and clip] real?'
"'They're real. I can't quite believe it. Jon, have you any idea what these things are worth?'
"Little Jon looked at him intently. 'They are not worth what you think they are, Mr. Bean. You're thinking they're worth more tha...more
If I recall correctly, I read this in a period in my early twenties when I realized that I'd missed a lot by not reading children's books as a child. At the time I didn't connect the author with Escape to Witch Mountain, which latter I connected, quite properly, with Zenna Henderson's People stories.
I realize now that Key never really dealt with an issue which weighed heavily on Zenna Henderson's mind: what moral responsibility do those lucky enough to be born in privileged societi...more
I realize now that Key never really dealt with an issue which weighed heavily on Zenna Henderson's mind: what moral responsibility do those lucky enough to be born in privileged societi...more
Jon doesn't remember what happened, or who he is, or much of anything for that matter. But he knows he is somewhere strange. When Jon comes upon the Bean family who takes him in, he realize just how strange of a place this is, and that he is not from here. He's from another world, but has no idea how he got here or how to get back.
Trouble starts when Mr. Pitts says he is the boy he caught one night and soon the whole town is full of stories of the 'wild boy'. Things become worse when peopl...more
Trouble starts when Mr. Pitts says he is the boy he caught one night and soon the whole town is full of stories of the 'wild boy'. Things become worse when peopl...more
It had been quite a while since I read this, and I pulled it out as something quick to read outloud. While it didn't hold up as well as I would have imagined it would, it was still enjoyable and suspenseful. Re-reading it again after all this time, I wanted to learn more about Little John's home world and get a sense of the characters of the family that took him in.
The premise of this story--- a young alien boy stumbling upon a "forgotten door" and finding himself waking in a cave on Earth not far from the farm of a family that adopts him and tries to send him home---reminded me so much of a "Twilight Zone" episode that at times I actually found myself picturing the whole story in black and white with a Rod Sterling voiceover. Written in 1965, the book definitely reads as as the author's own reflection/response to the space travel fasci...more
Alexander Key is a fantastic author. I've never read a book of his that I haven't liked.
His books are often out of print. I buy them on amazon used. Sometimes public libraries have them.
His books are often out of print. I buy them on amazon used. Sometimes public libraries have them.
Sheila Beaumont
rated it
This is a wonderful story about a boy from an Earth-like planet who has fallen through a door into our own world. Little Jon is able to communicate with animals and can read people's minds. He has no concept of money, war, theft, automobiles, and many other things we take for granted (but he is very familiar with books!).
Jon is taken in by a good, sympathetic family who shelter and protect him and want to help him find his way home, while he is threatened by others who are afraid of ...more
Jon is taken in by a good, sympathetic family who shelter and protect him and want to help him find his way home, while he is threatened by others who are afraid of ...more
Sometimes when I'm reading or watching a great movie, I get sucked into the story and when it's over and I come up for air, it's as if the world had stopped those hours spent enjoying myself. This is how I felt the first time I read the Forgotten Door. I was drawn into the story. It felt as if I had been surrounded by silk, as if in a web, but I was comfortable. It was quiet. The Forgotten Door had an impact on me as far as justice and family loyalty is concerned. It was almost surreal. I ...more
Enjoyed this one as a kid. Picked it up to reread. An interesting story of a boy from another world who accidently falls into our world and what happens to him. I couldn't decide on whether or not to give it 3-4 stars for awhile. The boy's world is peaceful and they are in harmony with animals and never kill or have war, etc. It is a shock to him to come into our world and see all the bad. It's a good point of discussion, however, in the book it didn't come across as hopeful for our world as I...more
I read this when it first came out, as they say "back in the day". I enjoyed it immensely then and think that it was a spur to reading more futuristic, at least at that time, books and piqued my interest in what is now called "paranormal" influenced books such as Zenna Henderson's stories/books. It was a change from the other books I'd been reading and as such lead me into different genres. It is a nice way to introduce children to fantasy/science fiction. Lessons regardin...more
This is one of my favorites. I'd love to find people like Jon's people to live among.
Jon is a boy from a world of people who have settled their differences and have learned to live in tolerance, peace, and good fellowship with each other. They have technology for interplanetary travel as simple as stepping through a doorway from one world to another, but have ceased using and forgotten. Jon falls through the door at a community gathering and emerges into a world with a harsh social c...more
Jon is a boy from a world of people who have settled their differences and have learned to live in tolerance, peace, and good fellowship with each other. They have technology for interplanetary travel as simple as stepping through a doorway from one world to another, but have ceased using and forgotten. Jon falls through the door at a community gathering and emerges into a world with a harsh social c...more
Alexander Key, The Forgotten Door (Apple, 1965)
Somehow, I never got around to reading this when I was actually in elementary school, so I figured it was time to do so now. And now I know why I never got around to reading it in elementary school.
Little Jon is an alien. Of what sort we're never exactly told. All we know is that one night, he falls through a door in his world and winds up in a cave in ours, giving him the perfect outsider perspective to be critical about al...more
Somehow, I never got around to reading this when I was actually in elementary school, so I figured it was time to do so now. And now I know why I never got around to reading it in elementary school.
Little Jon is an alien. Of what sort we're never exactly told. All we know is that one night, he falls through a door in his world and winds up in a cave in ours, giving him the perfect outsider perspective to be critical about al...more
I enjoyed this story even though it didn't go in the direction I hoped it would. The focus is on the boy, Jon, who falls to Earth, and the time he spends here. Earth is not represented as a very nice place. The world Jon comes from is said to be gentler and kinder, but we don't learn of that firsthand. I would have liked to have spent some time on his planet with his people. This book reminded me a bit of the movie ET, with the feds closing in on the alien while he tries to find the way hom...more
This is a wonderful children's book!!! I read it when I was little, and it has stuck with me. Key's storytelling is gripping, and there is a lot to this book than just a good story - it really does have a lot to say about values. Absolutely great book! I haven't read it since I was little, so I don't know what it would be like to read it as an adult, but I find that most of the books I loved as a kid are still interesting to read now (like Bunnicula - Harold still cracks me up!) :)
It's always a bit risky to read a book you absolutely adored as a child. I've had some turn out very badly indeed. I'm pleased to report that this one stood the test of time - I don't think I had quite the same reaction to it as I did when I was a kid, but I appreciated that not everyone in the book is straightforwardly good or bad. It's still fun to imagine things like being able to communicate with animals and move more easily with a better understanding of your body and breathing.
I read this one in my childhood before escape/return to witch mountain, which might be why I think it's better than those.It was the first instance of being a vegetarian I was ever exposed to. Coming from a family of meat eaters, they would have been horrified that it came at a young and impressionable age. This would have been in the late 70's, early 80's or so. I need to dig it out of a box and reread and see what else I can glean out of it now.
Jon has lost his memory. He remembers watching the stars with his parents and then falling through a door. A door that leads to Earth. Injured in his fall he finds himself in need of help. He meets a kindly family who help him and are amazed by his strange powers. Now he is hunted by fortune seekers and government agents who want to use him for their own ends. Will he be able to protect his friends and still get home? A cute book.
This was a quick read middle grade book. Usually books about aliens mean that humans end up on another planet. In this book a little boy named Jon fell through an open door on his planet and onto ours where some unscrupulous humans hunt him down. Luckily there is also a good family that rescues him. Although a somewhat light read, it perhaps carries a deeper message about acceptance of people who aren't exactly like you.
I remembered reading this book as a kid and it really stuck with me for quite a while. So when I saw a copy in a thrift store, I picked it up and read it to my daughter, Hannah (age 7). Unlike many of the books I fondly remember, this one lived up to my memory of it and Hannah really enjoyed it too. It's short, engaging, and thought provoking - generally one of the best short young adult novels I've read.
Year after year, my students and I would read this book aloud (5th, 6th, and 7th grade). At the end of each year they would vote on their favorite book of the year and The Forgotten Door won every time. We would read it at the beginning of the year as a springboard for looking at how society treats those who are different. I highly recommend this book to teachers and students. This is one book that never will be outdated!
Quick, easy read. Easy to forget it was written in a time when being 'eco-friendly' was not the norm. The main character is not only vegetarian, all his clothes are animal-free, and he can actually talk to the animals with his mind. Kinda cool, actually. A little simplistic, so maybe for younger teens, but still, a pretty good book.
The book is about a boy came to earth from another planet.
It's kind of weird, maybe because i read a more realistic mystery before this, when i compared them, this one seems childish? It just cant satisfy me well.
Reminds me of the cartoons i watched when i was very young, it was a good memory, but it doesnt make me feel real.
It's kind of weird, maybe because i read a more realistic mystery before this, when i compared them, this one seems childish? It just cant satisfy me well.
Reminds me of the cartoons i watched when i was very young, it was a good memory, but it doesnt make me feel real.
Sweet and simple science fiction for young readers. The plot and characters aren't very deep or complicated and the story is pretty tame - some mild suspense but nothing very scary. I didn't realize until I started reading the story that it is set in the mountains of NC - close to where I'm living now. Serendipitous!
A boy from a different place ends up in a cave without any memory of where he came from. He has special abilities, like reading minds and running really fast. A nice family takes him in and helps keep him safe, until the suspicious neighbors get out of hand.
I've been wanting to read this since I was in elementary school. Unfortunately, I would of enjoyed it more when I was younger than now. It was a short, simple story, but fun in the long run.
I've been wanting to read this since I was in elementary school. Unfortunately, I would of enjoyed it more when I was younger than now. It was a short, simple story, but fun in the long run.
I pulled this book off the shelf just to have something to read while Harrison was falling asleep. It was good. But either most of the people in the south are awful people, or the writer doesn't have a very good opinion of people in general.
Oh, I just saw this in the update stream -- this was one of my favorite books growing up. I re-read it recently, just to make certain that it was something I could give to my daughter (eight years old) and I enjoyed it all over again.
The young stranger was was everything we were meant to be: totally honest, always kind, shocked by evil. And for those very reasons (and a few more), most people feared him.
Gripping read aloud for kids.
Gripping read aloud for kids.
Good example of the now well-worn trope of a lost (in this case, apparently human) boy with special abilities who must deal with nice and not-nice humans in his effort to learn about himself and get home.
Little Jon is enjoying the evening watching stars, when he suddenly feels as though he is falling. He awakens with no memory. Jon befriends a local family who soon discovers his unique abilities. He is able to read their minds and needs to find a way home. This science fiction adventure is hard to put down. As the locals are looking for a wild boy the reader wonders what will happen to Jon and his new friends, the Bean family. Will Jon find a way home before the townspeople find him? Those who e...more
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An American science fiction writer, most of whose books were aimed at a juvenile audience. He became a nationally known illustrator before he became an author. After he began writing novels for young people, he moved his family to the North Carolina mountains, and most of his books include that wild and rugged landscape.
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in...more
More about Alexander Key...
His novel Escape to Witch Mountain was made into a popular film in...more
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