Túto knihu môžem odporúčať len deťom. Nemyslím si síce, že je zlá, ale dospelým podľa mňa nič moc nedá a nič sa nestane, ak si ju neprečítate. Jonathan, I never could get a grip on his age. At the one hand he felt like 14-15, but on the other hand also 30. It was utterly confusing for me.

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency turns out to be a classic portal fantasy, allowing access to places beyond our own mundane existence, places where magic exists and may be made visible when looking through a special magnifying glass. Do you remember Newt Scamander's case from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Just like Newt's container the suitcases of the agency open up to allow one to enter not merely an expanded TARDIS-like space but alien worlds; and yet like those viewed by Will in The Subtle Knife not all worlds are like Earth, nor are they without peril. From 1988 until the early 2000s in the UK, it was illegal for books to be seen as 'promoting homosexuality' - meaning that many young queer people didn't see LGBTQ+ characters in books until they were adults. The Strangeworlds Travel Agency author L. D. Lapinskiexplains why these stories are so important for children.

And then the—the octopus things.” Mori wiped at her eyeliner with a manicured finger. “What did she call them?” Imagine stepping into a suitcase and ending up in a jungle, or an enchanted forest, or a bright, bustling city filled with magic. Because that’s The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, the first book in a new series.

L. D.'s books are published around the world in fifteen languages, and each book in the Strangeworlds trilogy has been awarded a Kirkus star - one of the most coveted designations in the book industry, He noticed the boy, whose mouth was flapping like he was a goldfish at feeding time. “Oh. Are you still here?” Don’t Lose Your Luggage,” Jonathan snapped. “That’s Rule Number One. If you wear that badge on your arm”— Jonathan nodded at a very faded and torn patch on Hudspeth’s sleeve—“you abide by the rules and requirements. This isn’t just an opportunity for you to—”I also felt like there were so many side plots being woven into the story, and no real solution was given in the end. Nor were there explanations to things that were mentioned and used throughout the story. Which I hope the next book answers.

Taking your responsibilities seriously, I see,” Hudspeth said, with grudging admiration. “No offense meant, er…” I do know,” Jonathan snapped, drawing himself up so he seemed much taller than his usually unimpressive five-foot-eight. “How—how dare you? You know full well you do not have the authority to wield that.” Squashed between brand name stores and fancy displays, the shops soaked in magic are never eye-catching, or ostentatious. Their windows are stained with dirt and dust, and sometimes their signs have peeled away so much that it looks as though ghost letters are trying to work their way through. Magic does not wish to be noticed, you see. And most people are happy to pretend it does not exist. Author L. D. Lapinski and the cover of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean Section 28 The Strangeworlds Travel Agency looked more like a lost and found office, or a rather specialist antique shop, than a travel agency. So it was hardly surprising that the boy was suspicious—even before the suitcase sprang open.

Customer reviews

The boy snorted. “All right, maybe it does say travel agency over the door, but you don’t even have a computer.” L. D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L. D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L. D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer.

There is a satisfying resolution to this first instalment after an exciting roller-coaster ride, but the several loose ends -- Jonathan's missing father, the mystery about the founder of the Strangeworlds Society, the fate of the Overseer of the Thieves of First Lights, the nature of the so-called schisms that can be contained in the Society's suitcases, and how it is that an ordinary schoolgirl has the magical abilities that she has -- all point at welcome sequels yet to come. As the final sentence hints, the agency's door -- like its suitcases, and like the covers of a book -- is a two-way portal. Sorry.” Hudspeth raised his hands. “Jonathan… Mr. Mercator… We’re sorry. We got it in Five Lights, and thought it might be useful.” Nicc has a special place in my heart. I love that little Thief. I thought at first she may turn out to be a baddie (like the Overseer) but she turned out to be a sweet girl who was just trying to make a living. Perhaps, before things become too complicated, we should clarify precisely why this young man was so skeptical about the Strangeworlds Travel Agency.

Keep in touch

Section 28 was an amendment to the Local Government Act, put in place by Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1988. It stated that: a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any [school] of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. In a nutshell, this meant No Gay Books™ in school libraries, no LGBTQ support clubs in schools, and ultimately left teachers and school librarians all but unable to provide support for queer students, or even to condemn homophobic bullying within schools. It was not repealed until 2003. Like me, a lot of adults in their 30s have grown up not knowing what Section 28 was. I am not a huge fantasy fan, but the Strangeworlds Travel Agency hooked me in and had me reading on for more. Then there was the fact that the travel agency had no fancy posters of Disneyland, or the Algarve, or anywhere else you might have wanted to visit. There were no posters at all, in fact. Only a few globes and atlases. And something that was like a globe, except the sphere was shaped more like a pear than a ball.