"The Atheneum is about a young boy named Jack, a voiceless boy, a boy without even a mouth. His adventure begins one night in a stormy tempest as he seeks refuge in a mysterious bookstore called The Atheneum, where he is offered a rare opportunity by the owner. Jack accepts a ticket for "one free adventure of a lifetime" and is told he must choose between the painful persecution of his voiceless past or the potential perils of an empowered future. Confused, he takes the ticket and wanders off into the seemingly endless labyrinth of books. When he is suddenly plunged into the fictional worlds of classic heroes he begins, for the first time, to stand up for himself and develop a voice (indeed even a mouth) of his own. But when he returns to the reality of The Atheneum, he uncovers one last great mystery about himself, his past and his future.".