Page Title
                       Ryan's Page
                       



                                        Portals
                          Ryan Jakubsen
  Cover and interior Illustrations by Ross Jakubsen      
                                     
            Four young brothers are swept into the adventure of their lives when a tornado strikes their North
      Carolina home, separating them and sending each in different directions to strange new lands
     reached only through portals.

      When they finally reunite, they face several species of fearsome manimals, half-man, half-animal   
       creatures, some peace loving, others cruel and heartless.  One brother becomes a king, one is
       captured by the enemy. The remaining brothers must join forces to outwit the fierce lion manimals,
       rescue their kidnapped brother and regain control of all the portals if they ever hope to get
       back home!
                                                                            Warning!
        Once you start reading this book, you won't want to stop until you read the last word!

                                                                    Reader comments

      






       Hi Ryan,    I really enjoyed meeting you today. I loved the book and you have quite an imagination.
                            Look forward to the next book. You are good.   Thanks again, Mrs. Barton
      







Dear Dixie, I just finished Ryan's book. It is absolutely awesome! What a wonderful story. Verdell read it last night and she loved it. I'm amazed at his creativity and wit.  I never read any Harry Potter books, but will surely want to own all of Ryan Jakubsen's books. He is a natural!
Jean helps 3rd graders at Cash Elementary and is going to have the principal read Portals to see if she can use it as a reading tool there too. Everyone I talk to is excited about this little wonder of a writer.
                                                      This is to Ryan
Dear Ryan,  I just read your amazing book, Portals.  I couldn't put it down until I finished. And I want to read Portals II also. Keep up the fantastic writing. You are special!! Love and best wishes to you, Kathy Fisher.







Ryan's book arrived today. Yeah!!!!!  And I've already read it, and I loved it. I don't know how he comes up with all that. He's absolutely amazing. And the names he calls his characters is something I would never think of.  He kept me in suspense and surprised me with things happening that I didn't expect. It looks like Axel and Lucy are a little sweet on one another.
I remember how you told me........... but I had forgotten that and was surprised when.........
Ross did very well with the drawings too and I was interested in reading his bio.  It was so nice that Ryan thanked all his family and then dedicated the book to all of you.  I am pleased with the autograph he did for  me too. That is so sweet.  I will look forward to Portals II.  The Menace of Marshwood Manor?  How does he come up with names like that? The two boys will have lots of fun writing together. I tell you, Ryan is going to be a famous writer some day.
Norma Hammer, Clinton, Iowa








Dear Ryan and Family,   I just want to congratulate Ryan on his amazing accomplishment!  I am bursting with pride and just wanted to share how excited I am for all of you!  Ryan, I hope that you will truly treasure and enjoy the whole experience and that you will use your success to inspire others!  Love, Mrs. du Preez.  (Mrs. duPreez was Ryan's teacher in second grade and what a jewel she is!!  Ryan and all the rest of us just love her!)







"This book is easy to read. It is written for children but has appeal to a wider audience, as I found it exciting reading about the situations the protagonists got into and out of. I couldn't put it down until I finished the whole book which tells you something. I recommend it to children of all ages, knowing that kids who are becoming readers will find it especially entertaining. Pat Waddell,  Iowa






Hi,  I read Ryan's book and wanted to let you know I really enjoyed it. Has he gotten busy on Portals II yet? I am going to give it to my grandson. I am sure he will really enjoy it and will be frustrated to wait for the sequel. I think I'll let my thirty year old son read it first.  He enjoys and collects comic books and this seems like the kind of book that could become a comic book based on the characters in Ryan's story. The comic book business is very profitable and nothing to be scoffed at.  What a great gift Ryan has!  I think he has a great future ahead of him no matter what he choses in life. I could not put it down until I finished it.  L. Casey. Iowa
                  
                  Manimals!





Dixie, please pass this on to Ryan. I plan  to give it to my daughter, Patty and I'm sure she will share it with her class.
                       Hi Ryan,
I just finished reading Portals. You are a great story teller: wonderful original characters, exciting plot and good descriptions. I'm glad you are planning a sequel. Congratulations on your accomplishment.  Helen Goodman, author, Harlequin World Wide Mysteries.
.



Hey Ryan, That warning on the back is sure right. I couldn't stop reading Portals.
David,  a classmate at Phoenix Academy



Ryan!  I am so impressed with your creative storytelling abilities. When I read Portals to our class, everyone was on the edge of their seat. I must say, however, that your warning on the back of the book was correct. We all hated it when I had to stop because it was time to go home, and couldn't wait to finish it.  When I did finish it, I couldn't believe the ending!!!  You have to get busy on the sequel--I have to know what happens next!  I always knew some of my students would become famous one day, I just didn't realize it would be this soon.  Congratulations on a great accomplishment!  I am extremely proud of you.
Love,
Mrs. Canady   ( Mrs. Canady is Ryan's third grade teacher, he loves being in her class, she's a great teacher!  Phoenix Academy is fortunate to have such a wonderful staff! )


Dear Ryan,  What an amazing book you have written. It's exciting, fun to read and hard to put down.  Loved it and can't wait for the sequel! 
Diane Lambright Berry
Author, Port City Pirates, a novel for young adults.

Hi Ryan, I received the book and have already finished it and will pass it on to my friend. When will Portals II be out?  Better get to writing, Ryan, Thanks, your new friend, M. Degear, Arizona
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Ryan,  "Portals" was so exciting, I couldn't put it down. Also, the illustrations were wonderful. I hope you have started on your next book! I can't wait to read it!
Thanks very much,  D.E. Joyner, author of family books, retired grade school teacher.
It has been said that most good writers have an innate sense of pacing, Ryan certainly has it in Portals, He also has a facility for developing character, plot, dialogue, setting and themes. For two years I have hosted a weekly program, Cover to Cover, on a local cable tv station. Ryan was my guest recently and discussed his book thoughtfully and enthusiastically. That particular program will always be one of my favorites. Hal Hubener, Director, Blue Ridge Regional Libraries.   Martinsville, Va.
Hi Dixie,  I talked with Jean F, this evening and she said she is reading Portals to some of the third graders at her elementary school. She tutors as a part of her job and is helping some of the students to read better. I am so proud that Ryan's book can be used for this purpose as well as pure enjoyment!  Katherine F. NC
Congratulations Ryan!  I like the whole package of your book. The cover art by Ross as well as the manimal illustrations. Then I like the dedication which even included Punkin. The acknowledgements even make me smile.  There are a couple of things I enjoyed and hope to read more of in the sequel...I like the way some chapters end with a question. also the line, "Come out with your paws up"...so manimalish!  Another thing I liked was when Axel did the normal thing of puttting his hand out to shake General Jumba's claw.

I would like to order another book for my 10 year old next door neighbor. Could you please autograph it to Garrett? I'm anxious to hear what he has to say about it.

Love to all,  Donna H. Virginia.
Hi Dixie,-- I saw this on the Farr network this a.m. LOVED IT.   I just loved the interview--and sent it on to my grandsons, who also were happy to see it.  WHAT A BOY!!!! My one grandson, in Virginia said HE wants to write a book. Sure---sounds easy, but is NOT. HE is 9 also. He loved the book--read it in one sitting, and took it to school.  We really want to know when Ryan has the other book done, and we'll be ANXIOUS to order it. THANK YOU, DIXIE    Joan Barota, Clinton, Iowa
Ryan, My name is Bill Owen and I grew up with your grandfather and grandmother. We had a wonderful childhood, but nothing quite as exciting as falling into a portal!  I was immediately attracted to your book because of the fascinating cover that your talented brother designed. You were correct, once I opened your book and started to read it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I was happy that the crab manimals were part  of your assault team against those terrible lion manimals. I don't think you could have defeated them without their help. Including Lucy in your story was a nice touch. I'm sure Lucy will play a bigger role in the sequel.  I wish to thank Dixie for telling me about your book. I honestly enjoyed it very much and I am looking forward to the sequel. I have some young people here in California I am going to give your book to. I'm sending the other copy to friends in Chicago, Ill. My wife and I live in San Diego and if you and your family ever visit, please come to our home, we'd like to meet you!  Bill Owen, Ca.


Ross, Mimi, Ryan, and Mom, Diane, standing at signing!
Ryan at Authors Fair in Thomasville Library!
Ryan with Patrons.
Ross, Ryan and Carol Andrews, local newcaster and author of children's books.
Yesterday afternoon I read Ryan's book Portals. He really does have an imagination and it was well thought out. When I got to the last page, it reminded me of the serials they used to run at the movies. You'd have to go back the next week to see what was going to happen. I was surprised to see that his mother is a professional editor. That makes several of you "in the business" now.  Love, Dixie Marie
I've started reading Ryan's book. It's a very good book, just like his Mimi. It's hard to believe a nine year old boy wrote that book. We know what he is going to be when he grows up, don't we?  Vern in Topeka, Ks.
Dear Ryan, Thank you for writing a fun book for me to read. I had fun learning the characters and going on adventures with them. You did a great job writing the book. Thanks and good luck on all you do.

And thank you Mrs. Hammer for buying the book for me.
Sylvia R. in Iowa