A group of fellows from the Reform Club bet Phineas Fogg that he can't make it around the world in 80 days. He stuffs a carpet bag with 20,000 pounds of his own money (the amount he will win from the bet if he wins) and is off with his brand new butler, Passepartout.

This has been a great read-aloud book with the children. For a little added geography benifit, we put up a big world map on the wall and are tracking the progress of Phineas Fogg's route with thumb tacks and a piece of yarn. We particularly like this edition printed by The Whole Story press. The pages are a bigger and thicker than the usual paperback, and lays out nicely in the lap for kids sitting at my side. In the side margins are added bits of extra information and helpful historical facts and photos.

So far we admire Phineas's great sense of confidence as he manages around conflicts in his journey unruffled, certain of eventual success. Educational, humerous, suspenseful. We also thought it was funny to notice a match to the last classic we just finished, 20,000 Leauges Under the Sea . . . both 20,000, both by Jules Verne.