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The Mushroom Planet #1
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet
Don't miss the adventures of Chuck and David, two boys who travel to the alien planet Basidium in their homemade spaceship.This timeless series is a classic that is sure to be read over and over again.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
52 people are currently reading
2323 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Cameron
28 books52 followersEleanor Frances Butler Cameron (1912 - 1996) was a Canadian children's author who spent most of her life in California. Born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1912, her family then moved to South Charleston, Ohio when she was 3 years old. Her father farmed and her mother ran a hotel. After three years, they moved to Berkeley, California. Her parents divorced a few years later. At 16, she moved with her mother and stepfather to Los Angeles. She credits her English mother's love of story telling for her inspiration to write and make up stories.
She attended UCLA and the Art Center School of Los Angeles. In 1930, she started working at the Los Angeles Public Library and later worked as a research librarian for the Los Angeles Board of Education and two different advertising companies. She married Ian Cameron, a printmaker and publisher, in 1934 and the couple had a son, David, in 1944.
Her first book came out in 1950, based on her experience as a librarian. It was well received by critics, but didn't sell well. She did not start writing children's books until her son asked him to write one starring him as a character. this resulted in her popular series The Mushroom Planet.
With the success of the Mushroom Planet books, Cameron focused on writing for children. Between 1959 and 1988 she produced 12 additional children's novels, including The Court of the Stone Children (1973) and the semi-autobiographical five book Julia Redfern series (1971–1988). She won the National Book Award for Court of the Stone Children in 1973, and was a runner up for To The Green Mountains in 1979.
In addition to her fiction work, Cameron wrote two books of criticism and reflection on children's literature. The first, The Green and Burning Tree, was released in 1969 and led an increased profile for Cameron in the world of children's literature. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s Cameron worked as a traveling speaker and contributor to publications such as The Horn Book Magazine, Wilson Library Bulletin, and Children's Literature in Education. She was also a member of the founding editorial board for the children's magazine Cricket, which debuted in 1973. In 1972 she and Roald Dahl exchanged barbs across three issues of The Horn Book, a magazine devoted to critical discussions of children's and young adult fiction. Her second book of essays, The Seed and the Vision: On the Writing and Appreciation of Children's Books, came out in 1993. It is her final published book.
From late 1967 until her death Cameron made her home in Pebble Beach, California. She died in hospice in Monterey, California on October 11, 1996 at the age of 84.[
She attended UCLA and the Art Center School of Los Angeles. In 1930, she started working at the Los Angeles Public Library and later worked as a research librarian for the Los Angeles Board of Education and two different advertising companies. She married Ian Cameron, a printmaker and publisher, in 1934 and the couple had a son, David, in 1944.
Her first book came out in 1950, based on her experience as a librarian. It was well received by critics, but didn't sell well. She did not start writing children's books until her son asked him to write one starring him as a character. this resulted in her popular series The Mushroom Planet.
With the success of the Mushroom Planet books, Cameron focused on writing for children. Between 1959 and 1988 she produced 12 additional children's novels, including The Court of the Stone Children (1973) and the semi-autobiographical five book Julia Redfern series (1971–1988). She won the National Book Award for Court of the Stone Children in 1973, and was a runner up for To The Green Mountains in 1979.
In addition to her fiction work, Cameron wrote two books of criticism and reflection on children's literature. The first, The Green and Burning Tree, was released in 1969 and led an increased profile for Cameron in the world of children's literature. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s Cameron worked as a traveling speaker and contributor to publications such as The Horn Book Magazine, Wilson Library Bulletin, and Children's Literature in Education. She was also a member of the founding editorial board for the children's magazine Cricket, which debuted in 1973. In 1972 she and Roald Dahl exchanged barbs across three issues of The Horn Book, a magazine devoted to critical discussions of children's and young adult fiction. Her second book of essays, The Seed and the Vision: On the Writing and Appreciation of Children's Books, came out in 1993. It is her final published book.
From late 1967 until her death Cameron made her home in Pebble Beach, California. She died in hospice in Monterey, California on October 11, 1996 at the age of 84.[
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
October 2, 2015
David and Chuck, two young boys living in California, build a backyard spaceship and jet off to the Mushroom Planet to help save that world, with the help of a rather strange but engagingly enthusiastic scientist in their town. Basidium, the so-called Mushroom Planet (because of, yes, all the giant mushrooms that grow on it) is a tiny habitable moon orbiting the Earth, which is invisible to normal telescopes. Mr. Bass, the scientist, mysteriously warns them that they need to bring a mascot on the trip, so at the last second they grab David's pet hen, Mrs. Pennyfeather. Good thing!
Written in the 1950s, this book is informed by Atomic Era optimism and gee-whiz science and is a fun middle grade read. As a young teen, I loved the adventures of David and Chuck and their visit to the hidden planet of Basidium, whose beautiful blue-green color always intrigued me. I didn't realize until I was an adult that this was the first book in what ended up as a six book series. I can't speak to any of the sequels, but this book is a great retro trip for anyone who enjoys charming old-fashioned YA science fiction, and stands fine on its own. (I suspect the sequels were written as an afterthought when this first book was a success.)
Here's the cover for my original Scholastic book (probably still on one of my kids' bookshelves):
Complete with 50 cent price tag! Those were the days.
Written in the 1950s, this book is informed by Atomic Era optimism and gee-whiz science and is a fun middle grade read. As a young teen, I loved the adventures of David and Chuck and their visit to the hidden planet of Basidium, whose beautiful blue-green color always intrigued me. I didn't realize until I was an adult that this was the first book in what ended up as a six book series. I can't speak to any of the sequels, but this book is a great retro trip for anyone who enjoys charming old-fashioned YA science fiction, and stands fine on its own. (I suspect the sequels were written as an afterthought when this first book was a success.)
Here's the cover for my original Scholastic book (probably still on one of my kids' bookshelves):
Complete with 50 cent price tag! Those were the days.
May 11, 2018
It's just not possible to recapture a read from 1969. I was not old enough to know or care about some of the science parts being really, really improbable...nay, impossible...as we had just been to the Moon and had recently landed a probe on Mars that put paid to even the dream of a Universe like the one Author Cameron created.
I loved revisiting Dave Topman and Chuck Masterson's flight to the impossible, tiny planet Basidium, all of 50,000 miles away. Their home-made rocket that traveled 25,000 miles an hour. Their bags od groceries to eat on the way there and back...two hours each way...two hours on Basidium, where they somehow spoke the language of the Mushroom People and solved a mystery that confounded the adult Mushroom People...the chicken that saved the day....
Nope, too old to get back there, but it was some good fun peeking back at the boyhood adventure that didn't have to make sense because what the hell actually does when you're eight or nine? It's starting to, but not quite yet does, blessedly.
I would give this to a six-year-old and read it with her. Maybe a slightly slow seven-year-old. No older than that, in today's world, and I'm not all the way sure it's even a good idea because gender roles and sex stereotyping are at the core of the story. So maybe, if like me you read it in your tinyhood, you'll smile and enjoy and keep out of reach of children.
I loved revisiting Dave Topman and Chuck Masterson's flight to the impossible, tiny planet Basidium, all of 50,000 miles away. Their home-made rocket that traveled 25,000 miles an hour. Their bags od groceries to eat on the way there and back...two hours each way...two hours on Basidium, where they somehow spoke the language of the Mushroom People and solved a mystery that confounded the adult Mushroom People...the chicken that saved the day....
Nope, too old to get back there, but it was some good fun peeking back at the boyhood adventure that didn't have to make sense because what the hell actually does when you're eight or nine? It's starting to, but not quite yet does, blessedly.
I would give this to a six-year-old and read it with her. Maybe a slightly slow seven-year-old. No older than that, in today's world, and I'm not all the way sure it's even a good idea because gender roles and sex stereotyping are at the core of the story. So maybe, if like me you read it in your tinyhood, you'll smile and enjoy and keep out of reach of children.
August 1, 2016
***Wanda’s Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature***
I’m pretty sure that I was in Grade 6 when I first read this book. I was also busy reading Children’s Digest during those years and I’m pretty sure that’s where I had been reading about mushrooms & fungi before encountering this little adventure. I remember being completely enamoured of the Mushroom Planet and going on to make many spore prints from mushrooms found in a little grove of trees in my uncle’s pasture. (My mother was a very patient woman, now that I look back on it. She put up with so many of my little biological projects. Flowers being pressed in the encyclopedia, mushrooms releasing their spores under jars, snails doing their thing in goldfish bowls).
I actually had to request this book through interlibrary loan in order to revisit it. It was worth the effort. Probably not too exciting to today’s children (it was, after all, written before the moon landing, which I remember watching on TV during Grade 2) who are used to Mars rovers and space craft visiting Pluto and Jupiter. But it also had the magical elements of a gentle fantasy that endeared it to me yet again.
Good memories.
I’m pretty sure that I was in Grade 6 when I first read this book. I was also busy reading Children’s Digest during those years and I’m pretty sure that’s where I had been reading about mushrooms & fungi before encountering this little adventure. I remember being completely enamoured of the Mushroom Planet and going on to make many spore prints from mushrooms found in a little grove of trees in my uncle’s pasture. (My mother was a very patient woman, now that I look back on it. She put up with so many of my little biological projects. Flowers being pressed in the encyclopedia, mushrooms releasing their spores under jars, snails doing their thing in goldfish bowls).
I actually had to request this book through interlibrary loan in order to revisit it. It was worth the effort. Probably not too exciting to today’s children (it was, after all, written before the moon landing, which I remember watching on TV during Grade 2) who are used to Mars rovers and space craft visiting Pluto and Jupiter. But it also had the magical elements of a gentle fantasy that endeared it to me yet again.
Good memories.
January 31, 2017
Okay, I will not pretend that this is an objective review, rather a re-visiting of a something that was special to me as a child.
My re-reading of it came out of a book-group discussion on the first books we loved, the books that formed our reading. When I mentioned The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, everyone stared at me like I was nuts, but it made me want to go back and find it. I wasn't sure I would be able to, if it even still existed. Lo and behold, on my birthday, a few weeks after the conversation, my wife handed me a copy of it, neatly wrapped.
It is a story of 2 boys building a rocket-ship and, under the tutelage of the mysterious Mr. Tyco Bass, flying to a tiny planet that no-one knows exists to save the people who live there. It is a simple and sweet book, definitely a boys' tale, an adventure full of hope and naiveté, with just enough danger and doubt to keep the pages turning. And there is definitely a sense of magic and fantasy underlying the science-fiction elements of the story.
Did it influence my future reading? It's hard to be sure. However, it wasn't too many years later that I discovered Ray Bradbury, and read everything of his I could get my hands on. From there it was the worlds of science fiction and fantasy, which formed my primary reading during my late teen and early adult years.
One thing. If you do seek it out, I would see if you can fine a copy of the original edition. Mine is actually the Scholastic Press edition, but I wanted to show the delightful original artwork. The SP edition has covers and artwork based on the original, but some of the magic is lost, as it is with the newer edition with all-new artwork.
My re-reading of it came out of a book-group discussion on the first books we loved, the books that formed our reading. When I mentioned The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, everyone stared at me like I was nuts, but it made me want to go back and find it. I wasn't sure I would be able to, if it even still existed. Lo and behold, on my birthday, a few weeks after the conversation, my wife handed me a copy of it, neatly wrapped.
It is a story of 2 boys building a rocket-ship and, under the tutelage of the mysterious Mr. Tyco Bass, flying to a tiny planet that no-one knows exists to save the people who live there. It is a simple and sweet book, definitely a boys' tale, an adventure full of hope and naiveté, with just enough danger and doubt to keep the pages turning. And there is definitely a sense of magic and fantasy underlying the science-fiction elements of the story.
Did it influence my future reading? It's hard to be sure. However, it wasn't too many years later that I discovered Ray Bradbury, and read everything of his I could get my hands on. From there it was the worlds of science fiction and fantasy, which formed my primary reading during my late teen and early adult years.
One thing. If you do seek it out, I would see if you can fine a copy of the original edition. Mine is actually the Scholastic Press edition, but I wanted to show the delightful original artwork. The SP edition has covers and artwork based on the original, but some of the magic is lost, as it is with the newer edition with all-new artwork.
February 25, 2010
I have rediscovered this classic sci-fi children’s novel which was originally published in 1954. Author Eleanor Cameron takes us for an adventurous ride alongside with two young boys named David and Chuck. After David’s father sees an ad in the newspaper, wanting a small spaceship to be built without the help of adults. David and Chuck construct a small spaceship according to the rules and bring it to the advertiser, the mysterious scientist Mr. Bass. After Mr. Bass gives them some advice and supplies the two boys set off to the Mushroom Planet. After rocketing into space the two boys wake up on the Mushroom Planet which is a small world covered in soft moss and huge tree-like mushrooms. David and Chuck meet some local residents of the mushroom planet who happen to be cousins of Mr. Bass. These residents have large heads and small bodies and are able to communicate with the boys even though they do not share the same language. David and Chuck are then caught in a pickle when they realize that the mushroom people are facing a huge crisis. It seems that all the residents are slowly dying. David and Chuck take it upon themselves to help the local residents as their sole mission before returning back to Earth.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. I enjoyed the way Eleanor Cameron included many aspects of spacecraft travel, technology, magic and astronomy. The entire stories had mystery, courage, belief and humor something that many young adults and adults can enjoy.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. I enjoyed the way Eleanor Cameron included many aspects of spacecraft travel, technology, magic and astronomy. The entire stories had mystery, courage, belief and humor something that many young adults and adults can enjoy.
March 27, 2016
I read this as part of Dead Writers Society genre challenge for March. This was a really cute and quick read so I am glad that I finally read it yesterday.
The book follows two friends, Chuck and David who respond to an ad that requests that a boy or boys build a spaceship. The two boys take up items that they find and build a spaceship and go off to meet the man who put the ad in the paper, Mr. Tyco Bass. Once they meet Mr. Bass and hear about the mysterious planet that he wants them to take off and explore, the story picks up.
With books like these, I often think they are easier to read as a child. As an adult your first impulse is to scoff at two kids being able to build a spaceship and hurtle into space and walk out onto a planet with no oxygen about. Since this book was not written for me, I thought it was perfect for someone between the ages of 6-9. I think if I read this at age 10 I would have probably said cute story and went back to my Nancy Drew books.
The setting of the "Mushroom Planet" was pretty funny. I liked the character of Ta who acted imperious, but we quickly find out has a soft heart.
This book is first in a series starring these two boys.
July 20, 2017
I read Eleanor Cameron's The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet when I was a child. Several times! It (along with its first sequel) was one of the relatively few children's books that I would still remember with fondness, decades later.
So it's a great feeling to be reading the book again now with my son and daughter. Granted, at this point I see a lot of problematic areas where the author really didn't think things through. But it's still an enchanting story, filled with a sense of wonder, and they're both enjoying it quite a bit.
We will be reading the sequel, Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet, together as well. (The final scenes from that book also stayed in my mind a long, long time.) After that point, the series changed its focus and, I think, lost its way. Luckily, when I was young I never got past the first two books, so I only found that out a couple of years ago and was only minimally disappointed.
So it's a great feeling to be reading the book again now with my son and daughter. Granted, at this point I see a lot of problematic areas where the author really didn't think things through. But it's still an enchanting story, filled with a sense of wonder, and they're both enjoying it quite a bit.
We will be reading the sequel, Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet, together as well. (The final scenes from that book also stayed in my mind a long, long time.) After that point, the series changed its focus and, I think, lost its way. Luckily, when I was young I never got past the first two books, so I only found that out a couple of years ago and was only minimally disappointed.
September 14, 2008
Still a fav of mine since childhood. If you can find a copy, settle in for an evening's read and let the story take you back to a time when space exploration was new to America and something as magical as a tiny planet close to the earth could really exist undiscovered as yet.
I totally love the style of the storytelling and Ms. Cameron's delightful characters. I think you will too.
I totally love the style of the storytelling and Ms. Cameron's delightful characters. I think you will too.
June 14, 2017
What an enjoyable trip down memory lane. Granted, I'd forgotten virtually everything about this book since I read it when I was the target age (around age 8--I'd say for 8 to 12 year olds, more or less), but I can see why this book has been continuously in print since it was first published in 1954. David's father reads an unusual ad that is printed in green (bear in mind that in 1954 newspapers were black and white; well I wasn't born then as my mother was still growing up, but I remember when newspapers were always black and white) with an invitation for a boy or two boys between the ages of 8 and 11 to build a spaceship and to take it to a street his father doesn't recall ever seeing. Nevertheless, the ad is cut out and David gets to work, aided by his best friend, Chuck.
Part scifi, part magic, this book is nothing if not fun. Yes, it's for children; it's not even y/a written for teens that many adults might enjoy, but adults who enjoy a good children's novel might like this. Mainly, though I recommend it for children. Lexile score of 1030 as it was written back when reading standards were higher than today.
Part scifi, part magic, this book is nothing if not fun. Yes, it's for children; it's not even y/a written for teens that many adults might enjoy, but adults who enjoy a good children's novel might like this. Mainly, though I recommend it for children. Lexile score of 1030 as it was written back when reading standards were higher than today.
December 24, 2015
Re-reading this book as an adult, actually reading it with a child, I noticed two things. That some comments at the beginning may be confusing for children who of course never knew of a time when we hadn't yet gone to the moon. As the characters look at the moon and wonder what it would be like if we were able to send men there. Might be an interesting conversation starter for an older person to explain to a kid what it was like before Apollo, looking at the moon and wondering, hoping some day we would get there. And the excitement of watching those moon landings.
The second was that as an adult, and perhaps kids more savvy and less willing to suspend disbelief than I had been, it's a bit hard to go with the premise of kids building a ship capable of space travel.
But overall, a fun story.
The second was that as an adult, and perhaps kids more savvy and less willing to suspend disbelief than I had been, it's a bit hard to go with the premise of kids building a ship capable of space travel.
But overall, a fun story.
March 4, 2017
Why didn't it bother me, when I was girl of the right age to read this, that I wasn't of the right gender? Mr. Bass's ad clearly says "boy" instead of "child." This, despite the fact it was written by a woman. I guess I was just so accustomed to the idea that it didn't seem like a problem.
Well, the story itself is kind of odd, too. Weird mix of science and fantasy with lots of questions raised but unanswered. I think the reason it's been so popular is because there's been a dearth of SF for children.
I was excited to reread it, but disappointed, will probably not read the sequels, and cannot recommend it.
Well, the story itself is kind of odd, too. Weird mix of science and fantasy with lots of questions raised but unanswered. I think the reason it's been so popular is because there's been a dearth of SF for children.
I was excited to reread it, but disappointed, will probably not read the sequels, and cannot recommend it.
December 3, 2019
This was a nice book to introduce my eight year old daughter into the world of science fiction, a project that is very important to me!
She liked it a lot, I was less convinced. There are some nice ideas in here but nothing that made me sit up and say 'wow'. The plot was pretty conventional and any potential surprises were telegraphed well in advance. The characters are nice if a little dated.
Overall, a difficult one to recommend whole heartedly
She liked it a lot, I was less convinced. There are some nice ideas in here but nothing that made me sit up and say 'wow'. The plot was pretty conventional and any potential surprises were telegraphed well in advance. The characters are nice if a little dated.
Overall, a difficult one to recommend whole heartedly
March 16, 2023
I read this fun boys 'n' rockets story in middle school, but the ending has stayed with me all these years. I still remember feeling unsettled after turning the last page. No matter how much I enjoyed the story, I fretted over the ultimate fate of the mushroom people, for the boys' solution to the aliens' problem has a limited timespan (choosing words carefully here, lol).
On further reflection, I think this story tuned my young impressionable brain onto the themes of scarcity in post-apocalyptic settings that I still love today. So yeah, this was a formative read for me.
And it's still being remembered, as evidenced by this recent article.
On further reflection, I think this story tuned my young impressionable brain onto the themes of scarcity in post-apocalyptic settings that I still love today. So yeah, this was a formative read for me.
And it's still being remembered, as evidenced by this recent article.
April 23, 2022
I think of this as a gentle fantasy rather than the launch of a science fiction series. It was one of many books I found in my elementary school library. This is one of the reasons I am so appalled that few public schools in Boston even have a library!
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
September 7, 2024
One of the books of my heart.
November 15, 2012
David and Chuck are two adventurous boys who build a spaceship in response to a strange, green advertisement printed in the otherwise black-and-white newspaper. Dave's parents fear it might be a hoax, but the boys are delighted to find that not only does Mr. Tyco Bass want their ship, he wants them to fly it to a small planet he has discovered that no one else can find. The boys are in for the experience of a lifetime.
My first discovery of this series was in reading the second book. It was years before I found a copy of the first one and was able to get the full story. I think this, added to the fact that so much exposition must take place in this book before they finally spend a small amount of time on Basidium, is why I don't enjoy this book quite as much.
Still, I find it wonderful that a book written before any real space exploration had occurred can still seem so futuristic. Of course, some of the things the boys say are dated, and fewer houses receive newspapers, but the science is vague and crazy enough to still seem like it just might work. I'm hoping to read this aloud to my third grade class to introduce them to science fiction and maybe even tie into their study of space.
My first discovery of this series was in reading the second book. It was years before I found a copy of the first one and was able to get the full story. I think this, added to the fact that so much exposition must take place in this book before they finally spend a small amount of time on Basidium, is why I don't enjoy this book quite as much.
Still, I find it wonderful that a book written before any real space exploration had occurred can still seem so futuristic. Of course, some of the things the boys say are dated, and fewer houses receive newspapers, but the science is vague and crazy enough to still seem like it just might work. I'm hoping to read this aloud to my third grade class to introduce them to science fiction and maybe even tie into their study of space.
October 17, 2015
I first heard about this book in Mark A. Clements’s The Land of Nod. Given how surreal Mark’s book was, I honestly expected that this was a made-up title. When I saw it in a San Diego bookstore, I had to have it.
It is definitely a kid’s book; it’s also a lot of fun. And weird. No wonder Mark Clements is who he is if he read stuff like this as a kid.
It is definitely a kid’s book; it’s also a lot of fun. And weird. No wonder Mark Clements is who he is if he read stuff like this as a kid.
May 27, 2019
This was a book I read for book club, a children’s book published in the year I was born, 1954. I happened to have it. I’m not much for sci fi, but it was pretty good. This guy asked these2 boys to build a spaceship and fly to his planet, Basidium X, where his people weren’t doing well and the mushrooms were dying. Somehow, their parents didn’t think a thing about it. They took a chicken with them as their mascot. He had to stay there because the mushroom people needed the sulfur in the hen’s eggs to stay alive! I guess children’s lit has come a way in 65 years!
September 11, 2011
Trippy sci-fi from the Atomic Age (1954) about two urchins who fly to a spore satellite called Basidium-X. I read this for the first time in over 30 years and could've sworn that the illustrations were in green ink but I guess my boyish imagination ran away with me. Now I have to read the entire series again.
Want to read
September 23, 2011This was the very first book that I ever purchased. I got it at a book fair that my school was holding. I loved the story then as now, and I still have that copy on my shelf. It reminds me of what a great adventure reading is, and why I love books so very much.
February 20, 2019
This is a good book because I like scientific things, and I kind of like old books. The Mr bass character was interesting and scientific. The boys were brave to go on the mission. I highly recommend this book.
February 10, 2018
A marvelous story, written at the dawn of the Space Age, about two boys who build a spaceship and travel to an alien world. It’s fantasy but surprisingly accurate in some of its science, and visionary in terms of its descriptions of viewing Earth from space. One star is docked for inevitable (it was 1954) sexism — I’d discuss that before handing this book to my daughters. But it’s easy to see how the book inspired a generation of children to a love of science fiction.
November 16, 2017
I hit the I'm finished switch about 24 hours early. There are no "Do Overs" on Good Reads. This was a very enjoyable little tale. It could have been written any time in the past sixty years, or so.
November 30, 2020
A fun children's sci-fi about two boys that travel to the mysterious planet of Basidium-X. With just enough quirky humor and adventure, your reader will enjoy this.
Ages: 7 - 12
Cleanliness: some uses of "golly" "gosh" are used.
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Ages: 7 - 12
Cleanliness: some uses of "golly" "gosh" are used.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!
May 17, 2021
This was probably one of the first sci-fi books I read as a child. I was wondering if it would still be relevant today. It did pretty well. I thought the story very imaginative for the time it was written. It is a fun adventure.
March 31, 2025
Great read-aloud that all young listeners enjoyed. This has some of the same charm of Heinlein's Rocket Ship Galileo. This also has pre-Sputnik space travel with boys, but Cameron puts far less science into her science fiction. Here stuff just happens without any real explanation - it's a bit more fantasy, I guess. Nevertheless, the story works, and the was-it or wasn't-it aspect of the final section is nicely presented and satisfactorily resolved. I liked how she introduced some philosophical questions after the boys return and consider further trips.
This was a quick read - sometimes we did four or five chapters in a sitting. It made for a very pleasant break from medieval historical fiction.
I'm not sure whether we'll read the sequels. I'll have to consider it. Often successors pale in comparison, and even if they don't, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.
This was a quick read - sometimes we did four or five chapters in a sitting. It made for a very pleasant break from medieval historical fiction.
I'm not sure whether we'll read the sequels. I'll have to consider it. Often successors pale in comparison, and even if they don't, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.
December 17, 2015
Title: The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet
Author: Eleanor Cameron
Genre: Science fiction
Theme(s): Mystery, adventure, friendship
Brief Book summary: Two boys, Chuck and David, build their own spaceship and travel to the planet Basidium. Surprisingly, the planet is close to Earth and the boys discover things they were never expecting.
Professional Review 1:
"The classic science fiction fantasy, about two boys and their space ship, and adventures on a planet found not far away from Earth. Ages 8-12." -- Publisher's Weekly
Professional Review 2:
"The writing is smooth, straightforward, and engaging, and Cameron's characters are sketched out with clear and emphatic detail. There is a bizarre, almost dreamlike quality to the book itself, due at least in part to the juxtaposition of a strong and clear respect for and use of scientific approaches and terminology with truly mystical phenomena that cannot be explained by any science known to man. The scientific wizard Mr. Bass -- there's no better way to describe him -- creates inventions that sound scientific, may even BE scientific in a way, and yet his work is surrounded by all the enigmatic atmosphere of the most mysterious sorceror. At the same time, the rescue and its conclusion rest on firm, rational grounds, so that we keep being anchored back to reality." -- Ryk E. Spoor, Amazon
Response to Professional Reviews:
I definitely was not as excited about this book as the second reviewer was, but I attribute that to my lack of interest in science fiction. However, I did read many reviews online from past readers who loved the plot of this novel and remember it from their childhood. I also agree that there were scientific terms used to make the book seem more real.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
There was rich vocabulary and terminology used throughout the novel, which would be great for fluent readers looking for something more challenging at their reading level. The plot is also clear throughout the novel. I was uninterested in the plot somewhat due to the terminology.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be a fun art integration. Students could design their own spaceships on posters and use whatever materials they like. Then, there could be a class party where everyone dresses up like aliens.
Author: Eleanor Cameron
Genre: Science fiction
Theme(s): Mystery, adventure, friendship
Brief Book summary: Two boys, Chuck and David, build their own spaceship and travel to the planet Basidium. Surprisingly, the planet is close to Earth and the boys discover things they were never expecting.
Professional Review 1:
"The classic science fiction fantasy, about two boys and their space ship, and adventures on a planet found not far away from Earth. Ages 8-12." -- Publisher's Weekly
Professional Review 2:
"The writing is smooth, straightforward, and engaging, and Cameron's characters are sketched out with clear and emphatic detail. There is a bizarre, almost dreamlike quality to the book itself, due at least in part to the juxtaposition of a strong and clear respect for and use of scientific approaches and terminology with truly mystical phenomena that cannot be explained by any science known to man. The scientific wizard Mr. Bass -- there's no better way to describe him -- creates inventions that sound scientific, may even BE scientific in a way, and yet his work is surrounded by all the enigmatic atmosphere of the most mysterious sorceror. At the same time, the rescue and its conclusion rest on firm, rational grounds, so that we keep being anchored back to reality." -- Ryk E. Spoor, Amazon
Response to Professional Reviews:
I definitely was not as excited about this book as the second reviewer was, but I attribute that to my lack of interest in science fiction. However, I did read many reviews online from past readers who loved the plot of this novel and remember it from their childhood. I also agree that there were scientific terms used to make the book seem more real.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
There was rich vocabulary and terminology used throughout the novel, which would be great for fluent readers looking for something more challenging at their reading level. The plot is also clear throughout the novel. I was uninterested in the plot somewhat due to the terminology.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be a fun art integration. Students could design their own spaceships on posters and use whatever materials they like. Then, there could be a class party where everyone dresses up like aliens.
July 3, 2017
Nostalgia read! This was a favorite book in childhood. Sadly, the newer edition I bought doesn't have the lovely illustrations featuring the onion-headed Mr. Bass, like the one I read as a child did. Also, I wonder if I realized that this book was hella old already when I was reading it in the late 80s/early 90s?
David Topman, a little boy, wants a planet just his size to explore. His father shows him an ad in the paper asking for a spaceship built by a boy - the paper is black and white, but this notice is in green! The ad was placed by Mr. Bass, a little old man who just might be from another planet. A planet named Basidium-X. A planet that's small, perfect for a little boy to explore. Thus begins David's space adventures!
This book is just as fun as I remembered. There is an absurdly short time span on every action in the book - David and his friend Chuck must build their spaceship in a matter of days, they can only stay on the planet for 2 hours, etc. - however, this makes for a cracking, fast-paced story.
The only thing I didn't like was how rushed their visit to the planet was. I wanted more Basidiumite action! More mushroom-centric housing and industry! However, I suppose that's what the other books in the series cover. I've actually never read those so it's a mystery, like Mr. Bass's inventions.
Highlight of the story: Amazing.
David Topman, a little boy, wants a planet just his size to explore. His father shows him an ad in the paper asking for a spaceship built by a boy - the paper is black and white, but this notice is in green! The ad was placed by Mr. Bass, a little old man who just might be from another planet. A planet named Basidium-X. A planet that's small, perfect for a little boy to explore. Thus begins David's space adventures!
This book is just as fun as I remembered. There is an absurdly short time span on every action in the book - David and his friend Chuck must build their spaceship in a matter of days, they can only stay on the planet for 2 hours, etc. - however, this makes for a cracking, fast-paced story.
The only thing I didn't like was how rushed their visit to the planet was. I wanted more Basidiumite action! More mushroom-centric housing and industry! However, I suppose that's what the other books in the series cover. I've actually never read those so it's a mystery, like Mr. Bass's inventions.
Highlight of the story: Amazing.
August 10, 2025
The Wonderful Flight To The Mushroom Planet is a delightful and imaginative children’s novel that takes readers on an enchanting adventure beyond Earth. The story follows two young boys, David and Chuck, who embark on a secret mission to a tiny, mysterious moon called Basidium—a planet inhabited by curious mushroom people. It blends fantasy and early science fiction in a way that sparks the imagination without overwhelming young readers.
I first read this as an adult, having discovered it through another novel, the name of which escapes me at the moment. The book is thoroughly enjoyable—lighthearted, engaging, and imbued with a genuine sense of whimsy. It strikes just the right balance of fantasy and science fiction to captivate young readers without becoming overly complex, and it would have been a fun introduction to speculative fiction for my younger self.
Reflecting on the experience now, I appreciate how skillfully Eleanor Cameron captures the innocence and curiosity of youth, while maintaining a simplicity that never underestimates her audience. Discovering The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet later in life adds a sense of nostalgia and deepens my appreciation for the subtle way it combines fantasy and science fiction with such charm.
I first read this as an adult, having discovered it through another novel, the name of which escapes me at the moment. The book is thoroughly enjoyable—lighthearted, engaging, and imbued with a genuine sense of whimsy. It strikes just the right balance of fantasy and science fiction to captivate young readers without becoming overly complex, and it would have been a fun introduction to speculative fiction for my younger self.
Reflecting on the experience now, I appreciate how skillfully Eleanor Cameron captures the innocence and curiosity of youth, while maintaining a simplicity that never underestimates her audience. Discovering The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet later in life adds a sense of nostalgia and deepens my appreciation for the subtle way it combines fantasy and science fiction with such charm.
March 20, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this childhood favorite. The first book in a series of six, this is a sweet and simple story of space travel which takes the reader back to a time when adventure stories didn't need superheros with superpowers, massive explosions, incredible technology, or world domination. It stars two young boys and a little bit of magical realism that allows them to build a simple spaceship out of recycled materials and travel to an unknown planet to save a dying race of people with the help of a chicken. Written in the 1950's when space travel was still ahead of us and mysterious enough to be every young child's dream, Eleanor Cameron rode an exciting wave with this series. Whether it will engage the over-stimulated youth of today is debatable although as a read-aloud it may spark conversation about the international space race.
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