Reviewed by Mary L. Schmidt for Readers' Favorite

Gewgaws by C.M. Bacon is the story of two young boys, Perry Dobbs, and a friend, Arvin “Chipmunk” Pewter, meeting up after not seeing each other for two years. It has been two years since Arvin was in town and he is looking for a little fun. In the past, both boys collected gewgaws which are showy things, especially ones that are useless or worthless, such as a coin, a curious rock, or a small piece of fine copper wire. The last gewgaw Perry collected was a round, rock-like coin with two holes in it which his father gave to him, right before he passed away two years ago. After finding a gewgaw on their way to the pool, the friends are taken to a new world through a portal of unbelievable proportions. For the boys to survive, they draw on strength from each other as well as from within, to cope with each new fantasy world they are thrust into. By overcoming fears, they grow stronger with each new event. The boys are taken on an adventure and discover the bright and dark side of themselves and each other. Gewgaws are considered precious items, and the boys willingly sacrifice their gewgaws to help save people in each fantasy setting.

The book was great, fast paced from start to finish. I loved it! It is well written, and Bacon shines in the imaginative way he wove this story. Not only is it well written, it is highly thought provoking. I consider this book to be any child’s great fantasy read, and extremely hard to put down. That is the character of great books; they are woven so that one must read to the end, and Bacon has proved this. I see this book as one that children from age seven and up would enjoy and read more than once. I envision a wonderful children’s movie could be made from this fantastic book.