Walking Through Walls - Karen Cioffi, Author

"Twelve-year-old Wang longed to be an Eternal.  He craved wealth…and power.  Spending his time learning about these mystics took his thoughts away from the certain fate of slaving in the wheat fields all his life, like his father. The wheat fields might be good for some, but not for Wang. He had higher goals."

Everyone should have high goals and work to reach them, as long as those goals don’t hurt others. Wang’s highest goal was to find where the Eternals lived and learn magic so he could have everything he wanted. He would use the magic he learned to take from the rich.  After all, they can afford to share so it wouldn’t be like stealing, would it?  He watched his father work in the wheat fields all his life and had even worked there himself, but he was determined to not make the fields his life too. 

Following Wang as he struggled to acquire the magical powers he always dreamed of made me think about all of the people in the world today who are just like Wang, who strive for riches.  Walking Through Walls is a book they should read; maybe it would help them see that riches, power and greed aren’t really that important. What counts is what you do with the powers within you as you use them to create good, not evil.

This is a great book that offers subtle morals for children as well as adults.