4 out of 4 stars
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The Place of Knowledge was written by Philip Shalka. Sabre, the autism assistance dog of a boy named Philip, is the narrator of this story. It follows the imaginary journey of Philip and Sabre. Philip, who is an autistic, non-verbal boy seeks out adventure through his imagination when he and Sambre come across an open trap door at the bottom of a pool that serves as a passage way to an unknown secret city. The surroundings of this ancient city, similar to Ancient Greece, are filled with wonder, beauty, and curiosity. With Sabre right by his side, Philip meats and converses with the philosopher Aristotle. He gains great insight and knowledge from Aristotle, as he tries to understand his curiosity about life and the people around him who don't seem to understand him. At fifteen years old, Philip tries to answer questions about knowledge, learning, happiness, and how to achieve each of these things.
First off, I would like to point out that this short story was written by a fifteen year old. This young author seems to show wisdom beyond his years and great creativity as he gives us a glimpse of the alternate reality that he has created for himself. It felt like he was giving me an idea through this book of what it is like in his head, the thoughts that he has, and just who he is as a person.
Phillip's autistic assistance dog Sambre is the narrator in is story, which I found to be very unique. By using the dog's perspective, it was almost like you were walking alongside Philip through this ancient city. I could actually picture the beautiful scenes that he was describing in my head and watching him talk to one of the most famous philosophers Aristotle. Since Philip is autistic and non-verbal, I think he has given us great insight as to how a person dealing with autism thinks and feels. In return he shares his thoughts on how he views the others around him as well. I know that not every person dealing with autism is going to think the same way, just like everyone, but it is a good experience to see Philip's perspective. He used such a creative way to tell share his thoughts by creating this different reality to explore. To be honest, I wish I had this city to escape to where everyone is kind, curious, and honest.
There really wasn't anything I disliked about this book. I didn't come across any grammatical errors. Despite the fact that it was a short story, I didn't find it it to be too fast paced. As I mentioned above, the details were so great that you could actually picture every scene in your head as if you are walking down the streets of this ancient city yourself. Philip attempts to answer what life is all about, which I know we have all questioned that from time to time, and it interesting to see his perspective.
Anyone looking for a different perspective, something relaxing to read, or just looking for a fun and new story will enjoy this book. It offers something for everyone. There is a bit of fact because the author is the inspiration for the characters in this book, fantasy through Philip's imaginative view of the ancient city that they visit, adventure in every conversation they have and street the walk down, and relaxation through the beautiful scenes that are described in the streets, gardens, hillsides, and even restaurants. Pet and dog lovers would enjoy this book as well since the narration is through Philip's dog.
My rating of That Place of Knowledge is 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I would love to read more from the author. This book is adventurous and inspiring. I think everyone can find something to relate to in this story, which is what makes it so interesting to read.
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That Place of Knowledge
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