Mar 4, 2015 By Jeremy Farbman 3 min read

Nowadays, it seems like the days of classic adventure in fiction are over. If a work isn’t specifically catered to children, it’s filled with dark elements and themes so it can appeal to an older audience. David Whitehouse is able to find a precious middle ground between the two extremes in his novel “Mobile Library,” which retains the mature tones but is simultaneously a celebration of old and timeless stories.

Bobby Nusku is a 12-year old boy who the world has turned against. His mother is gone, he lives with his neglectful father, and his only friend and protection from bullies has moved away. One day, his future starts to brighten when he meets a divorced mother, Valerie Reed, and her disabled daughter, Rosa. They provide the love Bobby was missing in his life, and he does the same for them in return. They bond while cleaning the mobile library, all the while becoming inspired by the classics inside the vehicle. Eventually, they realize that their current lives are worthless and that no one appreciates them. To escape and start their own adventure like the ones in the stories, they leave town together.

Though it is not among the many literary references the book contains, I was reminded of the plot of one of my favorites, “The Phantom Tollbooth,” while reading this. Both books have a lonely child for a protagonist who sets out into the unknown to find some meaning. Along the way, they meet a set of strange characters who teach them various outlooks on life. When I had this comparison in my head, I wasn’t bothered by the rotating crew of the mobile library, something that typically bothers me in fiction. This approach to characters was common in the old stories the book praises, and indeed in how a child would create a narrative. Besides, all the loose ends are brought together in a satisfying ending, which is heavy in symbolism.

Don’t get me wrong, there are dark, more modern elements in the plot. There is Bobby’s abusive father, Bobby needing to cope with the loss of his mother, and the logical consequences of abandoning one’s life to go on some adventure. Ultimately, Bobby, Rosa and Val are mid-20th century people who live in the much colder and harsher world we know today. This creates a unique dynamic that wouldn’t be possible in yesterday’s fiction.

After spending the last few months on adult themes (and just because something is adult doesn’t make it mature), it’s refreshing to find a story that tells us we can escape them and rediscover what made legendary stories worthwhile in the first place. This celebration of storytelling’s roots should be required reading for anyone interested in character-driven fiction or sick of the stock ideas present in many modern works.

Jeremy Farbman is a sophomore at Mt. Lebanon High School.