CHITTY-CHITTY BANG BANG by Ian Fleming
At first, Jeremy and Jemima are disappointed to see the beat-up old car that their brilliant inventor father, Caractacus Potts, wants to refurbish. But they have no idea of the adventures that are in store for them. Not only does the car begin to run smoothly again, it seems to come to life with a brilliant mind of its own. When danger is near, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (as they come to name the car) can soar up into the sky and fly away or turn into a boat and float out to sea. But it isn’t long before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s amazing abilities lead the Potts family into trouble. After stumbling upon a band of gangsters’ cache of explosives, it will take all of the Potts family’s–and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s–cleverness and skill to escape from the crooks and bring them to justice.
The book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is vastly different from the film adaptation of the same name. The book is shorter, simpler, and (in my opinion) significantly less scary, due to the absence of the child-catcher. Personally, I like the movie better, probably because I like complicated scary musicals. But the book is certainly enjoyable in its own right, particularly if you do not compare it to the film. If you like fun, light fantasy adventure stories, give this classic a try!
Susan the Librarian 