School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up-Michael Ende's beloved fantasy (Doubleday, 1983) about a young boy who becomes a mighty hero in the story he is reading gains vibrant new life through this fantastic audio. Narrator Gerard Doyle transports listeners into the beautiful and dangerous world of Fantastica, a land filled with dragons, giants, and monsters, providing each character with a distinct voice and making the imaginative landscapes feel like tangible places. Some familiar only with the movie version (Warner Home Video, 2001) may be disheartened to learn that the well-known children's film only loosely adheres to the book on which it was based. But most will be thrilled to learn that the Neverending Story continues long after Bastian bestows the Childlike Empress with her new name. Whimsical creatures abound and exciting surprises await listeners at every turn. As with any hero's journey, an important-and hard-won-lesson must be learned before Bastian's quest can be completed. Although originally intended for young audiences, this timeless fantasy will thrill listeners of any age and continue to enchant them for generations to come. The only drawback is the audio's inconsistent volume. Overall, this epic tale has everything a fantasy enthusiast could wish for and more. A must have!-Alissa LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In Ende's classic, Bastian Balthazar Bux is an unhappy, lonely boy who finds a mysterious book and is magically transported inside the pages of the thrilling story. In the world of Fantastica, Bastian becomes the hero, embarking on adventures and encountering dragons, giants, and talking beasts great and small. Listeners will take great pleasure in the narration of Gerard Doyle, who infuses the story with vitality. His rich, musical voice is entrancing, and he deftly creates unique voices for the cast of characters, including a variety of fantastical, imaginary creatures. Doyle's reading has a soft, otherworldly, bedtime-story quality about it, and this will easily convey listeners of all ages away to Fantastica. Ages 10-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Bastian Bux steals a book called 'The Neverending Story' and begins to read it. The text he reads is printed in green, and that which narrates his own experiences is red (both are hard on the eyes). Eventually the stories intertwine and Bastian enters the book he's reading to save the land of Fantastica from destruction. Although Bastian comes out a stronger, more resilient person, 'The Neverending Story' is rambling and sentimental. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
First published as a juvenile, in German, four years ago: an inventive, meaningful, incident-packed fantasy featuring a boy who falls into a book-within-a-book. Fat, despised schoolboy Bastian Balthazar Bux steals this special book. And, afraid to return home, he hides in the school attic--reading about the magical land of Fantasiana, home to all manner of strange and intriguing creatures. Fantasiana, alas, is being eaten away by expanding blobs of Nothing; the childlike Empress, herself ill, gives her talisman, AURYN, to a young, purple-buffalo-hunting Greenskin, Atreyu; his quest is to find a cure for the Empress' and the land's afflictions. But, after various charming adventures, Atreyu learns that only a human from the real world can save Fantasiana--by giving the Empress a new name (something no Fantasianian is capable of). And, at this point, schoolboy Bastian realizes that it's him they're talking about! He even has a new name ready, but can't pluck up the courage to speak it aloud--until he realizes that the story so far will just endlessly repeat itself unless he does. Eventually, then, the Empress and Fantasiana are healed; Bastian finds himself in Fantasiana, in possession of AURYN, a talisman that grants his every wish; but every time a wish comes true, he loses some of his real-world memories. . . so he fails into folly and evil before undergoing a spiritual rebirth and finally returning home. An appealing, delicately wrought, engrossing adventure--for children of all ages. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
