Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
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| Author | Obert Skye |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ben Sowards |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Leven Thumps series |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, Children's Literature |
| Publisher | Shadow Mountain |
| Released | 2005 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 348 |
| Followed by | Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret |
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo is a fantasy novel by Obert Skye that traces the journeys of Leven, a seemingly ordinary boy from Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma, and Winter Frore, a neglected girl, as they seek to find their way to the magical dream land of Foo.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A drastic firestorm raged across Tin Culvert, Oklahoma. While many dived for cover, Antsel of Foo plants a seed in the ground. But on the same night, he was caught by the shadows of Sabine, and perished before he could tell them where the seed was.
In a hospital far, far away, Amelia (also of Foo) switched a child with a newborn. Although the nurses all feel sympathetic toward the child, as the mother does not want her, the child speaks. It drops off to sleep, while the shocked nurses decide not to reveal that it had ever happened.
Miles away in the Rolling Greens Deluxe Mobile Home Park of Burnt Culvert, Mr. Hornbackle struggles to sell a lot. At the far back, there lay an empty plot, which was quite cheap to the point it was almost free. As a result, people were interested. However, something had always come up to ruin the sale. Unsightly weeds with sharp ends, random sinkholes, and unusual odors were just some of the examples. The land was almost barren, save a grand tree that presided over everything there. The tree happened to have been planted the night years ago, during the fire over Tin Culvert. Its name was Geth. Mr. Hornbackle met Terry and Addy Graph, who were looking for a cheap plot to buy. When they saw the cheap plot, however, it was beautiful and lush, unlike how it had seemed to be to other buyers.
Fast forward a good twelve years, and Leven Thumps, child in the care of Terry and Addy Graph, is now fourteen. His life had not been the best there could have been, but he was okay with it. Leven was alone most of the time. But one night, he saw shadows circling his windowside. Frightened for his life, he screamed for help. But when assistance arrived, the shadows were gone. But under his bed, he heard scratching, which turned out to be a foot-tall creature by the name of Clover. Clover revealed himself to be Leven's sycophant, which meant that he would follow him everywhere, sort of like a guardian angel. Leven is told that he is supposed to find someone named Geth who would reveal what is to happen.
When he is talking to Clover, two school bullies appear, harassing him. They pulled out their BB guns, when suddenly Leven sees lightning flashing down from the sky. Uncanninily, that was what happened. He envisioned lightning chasing all the way home, and that came true. When he and Clover are back alone, Clover tells him that he is a nit, a human with a special talent. They decide that Leven's gift is to read and manipulate the future, making him an offing.
Meanwhile, Winter Frore was disappointed with her regular meal of six peas, bread crust, and jam on the night of her thirteenth birthday. But during dinner, she shockingly finds her hair frozen and floating. Then her hair started to attack Janet, her cruel mother. After several minutes, her hair subsided. Furious and frightened, Janet left Winter to clean up the mess, which Winter ate ruined food, savoring every bite.
The day after that, school wasn't much better. Winter accidentally laughed at the teacher, resulting in his wrath. She loses control, and seconds later, the entire room is encased in ice, including the teacher and her classmates. She comes to realize that her path in life was different from the one she was leading, so she takes her money and boards a bus to Oklahoma, following her mind.
At school, Leven is being taunted by the bullies who had been frightened of his lightning. Winter intervenes and saves Leven from a thrashing. They both know they have a purpose to fulfill, so they run to Clover for advice. He realizes that Winter is a nit with the ability to freeze almost anything. During this time, Clover cpontrols the body of Leven's gym teacher and Clover only manages to reveal what Foo is ( a dream world) and about Sabine.
After a skirmish with a Avaland, a rock creature, the two set off to find Geth without success as Clover isn't aloud to tell who Geth is or what he is. During their sleep, Sabine's shadows convince Leven to give up and goes back home. Winter and Clover eventually fnd Geth who use to be a great tree standing tall in Leven's house but was chopped down and made into a toothpick. But things aren't any better at home and Terry is about to explode when Geth comes saves Leven by destroying the home with his roots when attached to the stump that use to be his-self. Clover and Winter decides to tell Leven about Geth later tonight. Meanwhile, Sabine destroys the council of whisps and sends more Avalands. After another battle with the Avalands, Leven decides to go home once again with a little help from Sabine's stronger shadows. Leven is put into a trance by Clover and Winter and Geth carry him into a train. After more battles and skirmishes, Leven finds the gate and destroys it so Sabine can't go through it. The travellers go to Amelia's house and rests.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Leven Thumps
He is fourteen and the gateway builder's grandson. He is an offing who can manipulate the future. Leven is often called Lev, and his eyes burn gold when he uses his gift. He has a patch of white hair, which his guardians said had come when he had been frightened out of his wits one night.
Lev had been born on October fifteenth, at 2:30 in the morning. His mother, Maria Thumps, died in childbirth shortly after naming him. His father had passed away in a car accident a week before Leven had been born. As he lay as an orphan, the nurses and doctors had debated on what to do with him. Then his mother's half-sister, Addy Graph, came by to pick him up. She had been snappy and mean, and took him away. Even then, Clover had been with him.
His new parents wouldn't stand to hear Leven talk or fuss. So from when he was little, he had slept in an old bed at the back porch of their trailer house. He didn't really care, though. He enjoyed counting stars and tracing long branches of the tree that was Geth. Since Addy had been terrified of Leven's possible friends coming to steal from her, Leven had been forbidden to hang around with other kids, so he had been alone for a long time - until he met Clover, which was the first domino in a set of dominoes that were adventures in his life.
[edit] Winter Frore
Winter is a nit, which means she has a special talent. She was born in Foo, but she was spirited away to our world by Amelia. She had remembered Foo before, but had forgotten it, only to have it remain dormant in her mind. She has pale skin, white-blond hair and deep green eyes. Winter's given name is actually Judy.
Before she had been born, Winter's father had left months ago, and her mother wasn't exactly overjoyed with her child. Her new mother, Janet, wasn't exactly the parenting type, either. She had smiled twice in her life, and was bitter most of the time. So on Winter had gone with her new life. Her mother had been terribly cruel, and Winter was stuck living with her. She usually spent her time in the library, having no friends.
The only light in her dim life was a family called the Tuttles. They lived in a small, ramshackle house two blocks away from Winter and Janet. Tim Tuttle was a garbage man, and Wendy Tuttle was a kind woman, with two boys, Darcy and Rochester, with them being eight and six. They were the only happiness in Winter's life. However, Janet did not approve of her going over to their house, so she had forbidden those visits. But Winter snuck out and still visited.
On her thirteenth birthday, Winter realized her talent, and soon later set upon a journey.
[edit] Geth
Geth is the rightful owner of Foo. He was turned into a seed by Sabine and was left for the birds, but Antsel rescued him and took him to our world. He is a lithen, meaning he believes Fate will decide everything. Currently, he is in the shape of a toothpick.
[edit] Sabine
The darkest and most evil being in Foo. He is the antagonist of the book. He, as well as Winter, are Niteons, or Nits are they are more commonly called. Both of them have the same power, the ability to freeze objects and people.
[edit] Clover Ernest
He is a wise-cracking sycophant from Foo, sent to look after Leven, who is his burn. He constantly tries to find a nickname for Leven (many of which include Chief and Big Man), as Winter calls Leven Lev. Clover has the power to over shadow other people, and as a sycophant there is only one way the he can die, but only the sycophants know what that is.
[edit] Glossary
[edit] Lithen
Lithens are the original inhabitants of Foo. They were placed there by the guiding force of Foo, fate. Their mission is to preserve the real Foo, and its place as a modifier of dreams. They are extremely honest and are believed to be incorruptible. The most prominent lithen is Geth. They live by fate, and are afraid of almost nothing.
[edit] Niteon
Nits are also called niteons. They are humans who had been on Earth and brought to Foo. They are the working class of Foo.They are stable, and one of the best dream enhancers. After they arrive in Foo, they are given a powerful gift. For example, many nits can control water or levitate. They are usually loyal and honest. Winter Frore and Sabine are examples of nits, and they both can control ice.
The entire list of Niteon powers are as follows:
- See through soil
- Run like the wind
- Freeze things
- Breathe fire
- Levitate objects
- Burrow
- See through stone
- Shrink
- Throw lightning
- Fade in and out
- Push and bind dreams
- Fly
[edit] Offing
Offings are rare and extremely powerful. They can see and manipulate the future, such as Leven Thumps had. They can also learn other gifts. As a result, they are the most trusted confidante of the Want.
[edit] Rant
Rants are offspring from nits, that were born with too little character to manipulate dreams successfully. They are frequently in a disarray. As dreams catch themm, half of their bodies become the imagination of what the one in reality is dreaming of. They are usually dressed in long robes to hide their unstable forms. Jamoon is an example of a rant.
[edit] Sycophant
Sycophants are assigned to those who step into Foo. They help those that come in to adjust and understand the ways. Their entire lives are spent serving their people, called their burns. There is only one way for sycophants to die, but only the sycophants know. An example of a sycophant is Clover.
Sycophants love to serve, but sometimes get sick of helping others. So they are equipped with a venom that knocks out their victims immediately, and the victims are put in a trance where they are shown scenes depicting how wonderful sycophants are.
[edit] The Want
The Want is the invisible, but felt sage of Foo. He lives on the island of Lith, and sees every dream that comes in. He is prophetic, but a bit insane from his visions.
[edit] Cog
Cogs are ungifted children of nits. They have no single talent, but they can manipulate and enhance dreams.
[edit] Whisp
When those from Earth step on a way to get to Foo, they don't get there completely. They only partially arrive, since their bodies and souls stay on Earth. They are called whisps, and are similar to ghosts. They are members of governing councils and boards. They are very vulnerable to flattery, and wish most for soul stones, to become whole. The only way to kill a whisp is to suck it up by anything, like from a vacuum.
[edit] Avaland
Avalands are giant lizards made out of the earth. They are made by Sabine and can actually form together to make a bigger creature. Avalands have met Leven on two occasions. The first time, one Avaland pursuited Winter, Leven, and Clover but toppled off a cliff. The second time, about a gang of Avalands attacked and formed together to make a giant rock snake. The snake devoured Leven and Winter but made the Avaland to choke out the two.
