"Harsh words can never be recalled," said Roger Wordsmith to his son, Tyler. "They can only be softened by kinder words."
Tyler Wordsmith's childhood, up until now, has been one of imagination and innocent wonder as he explores Bramble--his creaky, but beloved old house--and plays in the woods of Careful Creek. But something called Blight changes everything. Because of Blight, Tyler's best friend suddenly moves away, old Bramble starts acting spooky, and Tyler finds himself in his father's library, awaiting a scolding for acting (as his mapmaker/librarian father, Roger, would put it) rather uncivilized. There, Tyler runs into a tiny sneak thief named Whisper who is busy stealing Roger Wordsmith's maps and charts, and during a tussle over the maps, Tyler and the thief pop through a little door into a place called Whimsy. In the fabulous wild land of Whimsy, Tyler learns the secret of Blight as he encounters an ogre, trolls, and a grumpy ruckus who just wants to take a nap.
Tyler also begins to learn the importance of words and, in a dramatic face off with a scary invader, how best to use them.
