I have not read this book and will no longer do so as this no longer appeals to me.

Burb:
Frankie Russo doesn’t brood about the past or worry about the future. He lives in the present moment, frolicking in a world of make-believe that drives his high-achieving parents crazy. They have lofty ambitions for him, but Frankie has no interest. He prefers to flip helium burgers on Jupiter or rule a kingdom of mermen in the Caspian Sea, up inside his head, where all the fun is.

Frankie’s parents nag him endlessly, worried he’ll come to nothing. But all that changes when he disappears through a mysterious crack in his bedroom ceiling and finds himself on a distant, two-mooned planet called Urth.

Why was he drawn there? He doesn’t know, but as he embarks on a delightful, mind-blowing adventure, Frankie’s desperate parents think he’s been abducted, and an innocent man is arrested and charged with the crime!

On the surface, Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy is a lighthearted science-rich adventure story that takes its middle grade readers on an entertaining romp to the other side of the galaxy. But the undercurrent is one of discovery and redemption, where a ten-year-old boy, through an unexpected journey, finds a way to escape his parent’s stifling shadow and emerge into a future of his own choosing.

DNF. I couldn't get into it. It had a really slow start and I wasn't clicking with Frankie. I didn't have the patience to power through until the speculative elements made it (theoretically) more interesting.

this was a great young adult novel, I really enjoyed that the scifi elements worked and I enjoyed getting to know these characters.

I had to dnf this book at 28%. i really wanted to love this book based on the synopsis but i just found frankie to be really annoying and i didnt like the writing style. Will probably be enjoyed more by younger readers.

In Frankie and the Gift of Fantasy, we start with a boy - creative and introverted in nature - growing up in a family of very opposite personalities to himself. When Frankie is transported to a new world to learn how to use his "gift of fantasy" with the help of a special mentor and lots of new friends, he not only learns a new appreciation of his own way of thinking, but also how to better interact with others and how to be more responsible about when to use his creativity in the real world. I feel this would be a great book for the kids who don't always fit into classic molds, or anyone who would like to foster of love of creativity and writing their own stories. It also has a ton of great teaching moments about responsibilities, growing up, and how everyone's stories have an effect on each other!

This was a great story, I loved the creativity of the story but I didn't enjoyed it all the way through the start made me wanna just leave the book behind until i finally got it and I liked the rest

This was such a fun story! I loved how Frankie's imagination was portrayed as this gift and special talent and how he ventured into the fantastical world and everything that happened there!
This was so quick-paced and I think especially younger readers will feel very seen when they read about Frankie and the friends he makes.
The only caveat I have is that the breaking of the fourth wall and the recurring addressing of the reader took me out of the story quite a few times. I guess this was more so supposed to be like in A Series of Unfortunate Events but it felt more "boom, here I am" on the writer's part and I didn't mesh well with that.
Nevertheless, this was a charming and fast read that will give power back to those stuck with their head in the clouds and their hearts in a book!

Let's say, Frankie is a real daydreamer. His head is always somewhere else and he often forgets about the real world. Frankie forgets to do his homework, never seems to finish his chores, and so on. The only thing Frankie cares about is fantasy and creativity.
When Frankie disappears, the book gets a twist. Both the story of Frankie and one of his parents, are told. I loved the idea behind that, but it wasn't working for me. The book had a very late start which made it very boring for a long time. I don't think a child will continue this long, before actually being sucked into the story.

This was such a cute and enterteining story, it gave me percy jackson vibes for a second, but Frankie is singular and he is also awesome.

Young readers should read this book and I will obvsly recommend it.

I think this is one of those books that is going to stick with me for a very long time!

Where was this book when I was a kid? I enjoyed reading this story from every angle possible. It was witty and thought-provoking, it was wonderful all around. I will be buying this book in hardcover to read to my 9 year old, and to my future kids when they get here as well. I don't normally read Middle-grade books but I am SO glad that I read this one!

The way that everything fits together to teach Frankie and his family valuable life lessons, about accepting yourself for who you are, and accepting your family members for who they are, and learning to be you is just superbly put together. It teaches lessons to the characters but teaches valuable lessons to the reader as well, which I feel is important in the age range this is meant for, and even for the parents of those kids!

Such a fun read and such a unique voice that Ruthy Ballard has. I will definitely be looking out for whatever else this author puts out!