Walking Through Walls Review

Have you ever wanted something so much that you’d do almost anything to get it, even go against your father’s wishes? What if your goal turned out to be much harder to attain than you expected? Would you give up, or would you keep trying, no matter the cost?

Author Karen Cioffi’s fantasy chapter book, Walking Through Walls, taken from an ancient Chinese tale, is a story of magic, dragons, and legends. Twelve-year-old Wang wants to be an Eternal and have money and power. So one day, ignoring his father’s pleas to stay home and help in the fields, Wang sets off to find the Eternals where he hopes to become one of them. Little does he know how rough the road ahead will be. Not noted for his patience, Wang soon discovers that to become an Eternal he will need to have more patience than he can imagine, as well as have the right heart. Walking Through Walls is a story about learning what’s important in life and the path to our dreams is not always what it seems.

The author includes questions and activities, along with a little background on The Ming Dynasty, family life, and other information about the time period. Walking Through Walls would make a great addition to school classrooms, especially history classes, and libraries. I think children would enjoy following Wang on his journey to finding not only the Eternals, but himself, as well.

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