Strange Journey Back (Adventures in Odyssey Fiction Series #1) [Paperback]

Paul McCusker (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This book contains four previously released Adventures in Odyssey titles: Strange Journey Back, High Flyer With A Flat Tire, The Secret Cave of Robinwood, and Behind the Locked Door. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Paul McCusker is Vice President of Global Resource Development and Innovation for Focus on the Family. He has been a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and drama since 1979. For Adventures in Odyssey alone, he has written over 200 half-hour radio episodes, eighteen novels, and two screenplays for the best-selling animated videos. He has adapted many classics for Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, including A Christmas Carol and Jan Karon's At Home in Mitford. He also wrote and directed the Peabody Award-winning Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom and created the highly acclaimed Father Gilbert Mysteries. Mr. McCusker lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Tommy Nelson (June 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561791016
• ISBN-13: 978-1561791019
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,326,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul has been writing since he was 10, starting on a typewriter he got for Christmas. Since then, he's published plays, sketch collections, songs and novels. Not to mention his 20 years of work on the popular children's audio program "Adventures in Odyssey," and its companion series "Radio Theatre." He won a Peabody Award for his drama "Bonhoeffer," and an Audie Award for his "Life of Jesus" epic. He has dramatized CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" and more recently "The Screwtape Letters." His novels include "The Mill House," "Epiphany" and his latest, "TSI: The Gabon Virus" with Dr. Walt Larimore. Paul lives in Colorado Springs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I thought it was kind of sad, August 4, 2010

By 

Jenny Rose (Lantana, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strange Journey Back: Strange Journey Back/High Flyer with a Flat Tire/The Secret Cave of Robinwood/Behind the Locked Door (Adventures in Odyssey Fiction Series 1-4) (Paperback)

In my quest to research children's Christian sci-fi stories, I ordered a four-books-in-one Adventures in Odyssey. It appears to have been originally published in the 70's. Have you ever read one of those books that had a good beginning, a slow middle, and a good ending? This isn't one of those. In my opinion, this book was a bit depressing. It opens with ten-year-old Mark Prescott trying to settle into a new town--Odyssey. He and his mom moved because his dad walked out on them. Mark deals with the town bully and meets John Whittaker--the owner of Whit's End ice cream shop and a quirky inventor.

I understand that divorce is an issue that kids deal with, but I wonder if it could have been dealt with differently in the book or balanced out with something. I think the adventures in the book are too short. Little resolution is offered for any of the problems presented. Potential subplots are introduced, but the story ends too quickly and I'm not sure I am interested in reading the sequel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Four stories of fun, intrigue and friendship..., March 24, 2006

By 

joshMshep (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Journey Back: Strange Journey Back/High Flyer with a Flat Tire/The Secret Cave of Robinwood/Behind the Locked Door (Adventures in Odyssey Fiction Series 1-4) (Paperback)

Mark Prescott is the new kid in Odyssey-and he doesn't want to be there. His parents have split up, and the only one who wants to be his friend is an annoying girl. But not all's bad. There's an amazing ice cream shop called Whit's End, and its owner is a quirky inventor named John Whitaker who seems to create fun and adventure for the whole town. As Mark gets drawn into life in Odyssey, the lessons he learns will change his life.

Written by Paul McCusker - a writ er & director of the "Adventures in Odyssey" audio series - Strange Journey Back delivers page-turning excitement with every chapter. Look for the other two exciting anthologies in the series, Danger Lies Ahead and Point of No Return.

This OMNIBOOK includes four-books-in-one:

Strange Journey Back

Mark is sure he can save his parents' marriage - if only he could go back in time. But he discovers some changes are out of his control.

High Flyer With a Flat Tire

After a fi ght with the local bully, Mark is falsely accused of vandalism and sets out with his friends to solve the crime.

The Secret Cave of Robinwood

To impress the other kids, Mark betrays a closely guarded secret. Will he lose Patti's friendship as well as the boys' acceptance?

Behind the Locked Door

Why does Whit warn Mark to stay away from his locked attic? Fueled by thiller comic books, Mark's imagination threatens his relationship with a close friend.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I just read this book a few days ago and I loved it., July 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Strange Journey Back (Adventures in Odyssey Fiction Series #1) (Paperback)

This is one of my favorite books that I've ever read. My mom got the series from the library and they just sat in my bedroom for a couple days until I picked it up and it was so good that I finished it in 1 day.