History Main / PortalBook

* Jasper Fforde's ''Literature/ThursdayNext'' is all about this. For example, Thursday traps Jack Schitt in a copy of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's "The Raven" in the first book.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'': This is literally the plotline of the game.

* ''Literature/TheInkworldTrilogy''

* ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory''

* There was a ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'s Amazing Odyssey'' computer game that used this.

* Franchise/{{Superman}} An early Superman foe could treat comic like this, and brought villains from (fictional) comic strips to life. Lois Lane almost became an IntrepidFictioneer when she brought forth the heroes of those strips to oppose them. She did not get sent into a comic strip herself, though, only onto a blank page of paper.

* This trope is what kicks off the events of ''LightNovel/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'' by transporting Naofumi to Melromarc when he opens a book about the four cardinal heroes. The other heroes come to the country by slightly different means though.

* ''VideoGame/CurseCrackersForWhomTheBelleToils'': has the Cursed Book, a series of not 5 but ''10'' particularly difficult levels that Belle has to go through after getting trapped inside a book, without Chime to help her. There doesn't seem to be a story going on, though; instead the book seems to function as an alternate dimension.

* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Animainiacs}}'' episode "Video Review" is an updated homage to the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts below, particularly "Book Revue", applying the same concept to a rental store full of videocassettes.

** The ''Animainiacs'' episode "Video Review" is an updated homage to the above shorts, particularly "Book Revue", applying the same concept to a rental store full of videocassettes.
* Inverted with Orson from ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', who seems to have the power of pulling creatures, characters, and scenarios out of books [[RealityWarper just by reading them]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Flush After Reading" shows [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands Roger has the ability to enter books]], which he reveals to help Francine evade Stan at the library. Their actions in a book retroactively rewrites it in reality, their misadventures in Pride and Prejudice turning it into a [[ToiletHumor a story about diarrhea]], which carries over to any depiction of them in other books. The problem comes in because Roger [[HowDoIShotWeb never learned how to leave]], trapping them in books a pyromaniac librarian is beginning to burn. They work out an escape by having Francine put into [[AndSomeOtherStuff instructions on how to make a pipe bomb]] in one of Stan's self-published books, making it entirely unpublishable and [[RetGone erasing it from under them]], dropping them back into reality.

* TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering: [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=473012 Into the Story]] depicts a magic-user entering a book.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017'' has a variation that ties into its AdaptationExpansion: The Enchantress left one of these behind for the Beast on top of his magic mirror and enchanted rose. What does it do? [[spoiler: It allows the user to travel anywhere they wish in the world. Belle and the Beast use it to visit her childhood home in Paris, and the sad backstory of her Missing Mom is revealed in the process]]. See also Literature below.

* The ''Series/{{Angel}}'' novel ''Book of the Dead'' had a variant of type two, where Wesley was sucked into a book and trapped in its pages-he to help the other trapped people and defeat the people-eating worm demon hunting everyone before he could escape.
* There's a kids' series called ''Alice in Bibleland'' that centers on this premise.
* ''The Land Of Stories: The Wishing Spell'' (and presumably the other books in the LOS series) by Chris Colfer focus on two kids who enter a magical land through a book.
* The ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast2017'' ExpandedUniverse novel ''Lost in a Book'' has {{Bookworm}} Belle, during her stay in the Beast's castle, discover a magical book (''Nevermore'') in the vast library. And she can enter and leave its MagicalLand freely...''at first''. An unusual example in that Belle's "real world" is already quite magical.
* The various books in ''Literature/MagicTreeHouse'' seem to work this way. It's unclear whether they actually send the protagonists inside the book's setting or transport them directly to the historical era depicted in the book. The former seems more likely, however, since Jack and Annie also use the books (especially later on in the series) to travel to fantasy worlds.

* ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Rita and Zed trap three of the Rangers in Kimberly's favorite childhood book. When that plan backfires, they turn the book's villain into the MonsterOfTheWeek.
* Done with Alex's diary in an episode of ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace''.

* Similarly, the plot of [[VideoGame/DisneysMagicalQuest Disney's Magical Quest 3]], as well as ''Mickey's Ultimate Challenge''. In the former, Huey, Dewey and Louie are sucked into Storybook World by the evil "King Pete" after they open an old book in the attic and Donald (or Mickey) has to enter the book in order to get them out. In the latter, Mickey (or Minnie) falls asleep while reading a book of fairytales and ends up within the book's world, and must find the source of the kingdom's problems while finding a way home.

* In ''Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales'' the demon book Bebuzzu transforms a storybook into one of these.
* In ''World Mosaics 3: Fairy Tales'' the player has to find their way out of a book of fairy tales from various countries.

* ''VideoGame/DressUpTimePrincess'' transports the player character into a role within the storybook she reads, obliging her to live through the story and try to reach a happy ending through her choices. The "Queen Marie" book, which is the first story available, dips into Type 3 since it's the story of Marie Antoinette, whose historical fate is something the player character would very much like to avoid.

* The Challenge of the Super Friends cartoon in 1978 had episode 13, "Fairy Tale Of Doom", where the Toyman develops a device that can project anyone into the pages of a storybook. He forces Hawkman to chase him into Jack and the Beanstalk, Cheetah forces Wonder Woman to chase her into Alice in Wonderland and Brainiac forces Superman to chase him into Gulliver's Travels and the three villains trap the three Super Friends in the three treacherous fairy tales. The other Super Friends must rescue the trapped heroes before the clock runs out and the books vanish forever.
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E6PowerPonies Power Ponies]]" has Spike and the Mane Six learn the hard way that this kind of book is apparently a freely available specialized comic book retail item when they are sucked into it and have to play out its roleplaying game scenario in order to leave.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'' thanks to fairy magic the cast travel inside the book ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' with the characters taking the roles of the book's characters.
* The ''WesternAnimation/GarbagePailKidsCartoon'' episode "A Rhyme in Time" had the Garbage Pail Kids enter a world of nursery rhymes through a book after noticing that Jack and Jill are missing from the illustration of their nursery rhyme and decide to enter the book to investigate.

* In Creator/WoodyAllen's "The Kugelmass Episode" Persky the Great invented a cabinet that can transport the occupant into whatever book is placed inside when he taps on the door three times. The titular character uses it to cheat on his wife with Madame Bovary. It eventually breaks when he tries to get sent into ''Literature/PortnoysComplaint'' and he ends up in an old Spanish textbook being chased by an irregular verb.

* ''Fiction Fixers: Alice in Wonderland'' and its sequel ''Fiction Fixers: The Curse of Oz'' are about reversing changes in the books caused by an agent of the Illiterati.
* In the ''Nevertales'' series Travelers can use any book as a portal into another world.

* In Woody Allen's "The Kugelmass Episode" Persky the Great invented a cabinet that can transport the occupant into whatever book is placed inside when he taps on the door three times. The titular character uses it to cheat on his wife with Madame Bovary. It eventually breaks when he tries to get sent into ''Literature/PortnoysComplaint'' and he ends up in an old Spanish textbook being chased by an irregular verb.

For help finding a Portal Book near you, see your local MagicLibrarian. Compare PortalDoor, for doors that lead someplace non-adjacent, and TelevisionPortal for the higher-tech version.

* The titular book of ''VideoGame/RakenzarnTales'', which is used to transport Kyuu into the world of Rakenzarn to start the game proper.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-826 SCP-826 ("Draws You into the Book").]] SCP-826 is two bookends. When a book is placed between them, the room it's in will change into the setting of the book. Anyone who enters the room will enter a random location in the book's setting. Any actions the explorer takes will be reflected in the book after they leave it.

* Twilight and Navarone get sucked into one in ''FanFic/DiariesOfAMadman'', and have to play along with the stories found in several books as they advance through the world.

* The ''Film/{{Goosebumps}}'' film adaptation reveals that ''all'' of R.L. Stine's original manuscripts are Portal Books that, when opened, release the monsters into the real world. He's dedicated his life to keeping the books locked and hidden in a house full of booby traps to presumably slow them down should they escape (which they do when the film's protagonist comes knocking).

* ''Comicbook/DouweDabbert'', in the album ''The Ship of Ice'', Douwe and Domoli enter a book so they can watch the story play out in front of them. However, they are merely there as spectators, and as such cannot interfere with the events in ways that would alter the course of the story.

* Played quite literally in ''FanFic/SonicGenerationsFriendshipIsTimeless'', although in a bit of a subversion, the JustForFun/DaringDo book leads to the [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Lost World]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** The whole premise of the Myst game is this trope. Initially type 2 but with the return averted. The main story/adventure is slowly revealed by the puzzles you solve and this part is more like a type 1.

* Similarly, the plot of [[VideoGame/DisneysMagicalQuest Disney's Magical Quest 3]], as well as ''Mickey's Ultimate Challenge''.

* In ''Disney Magical Quest 3'' Huey, Dewey and Louie are sucked into Storybook World by the evil "King Pete" after they open an old book in the attic and Donald (or Mickey) has to enter the book in order to get them out.

* Similarly, the plot of [[VideoGame/DisneysMagicalQuest Disney's Magical Quest 3]].

* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' - One of his gadgets are a pair of shoes that enables the user to go into the world of fiction.

* The plot of ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoChronicle'' is started when Arle and Carbuncle are sucked into a book and end up having to travel through its worlds alongside Ally and the rest of the gang.

* The main plot of ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Chronicle]]'' consists of Arle and Carbuncle (as well as several other characters) getting sucked into a book leading into another world where they're the prophesied "Great Hero" who will bring love to everyone. [[spoiler:Then it's revealed that Satan arranged for the whole thing so that he could live out his fantasy of Arle rescuing him as well as being the FinalBoss of her journey. Suffice to say, Arle was not impressed to say the least. Then the whole story gets thrown OffTheRails, first when Satan leaves the Colour Tower early to face Arle and Co., and second when Ally's pendant (that she got from Ecolo) ends up creating an EvilTwin bent on destroying everything...]]

For help finding a Portal Book near you, see your local MagicLibrarian. Compare PortalDoor, for doors that lead someplace non-adjacent.

* All of the books in the titular treehouse of the ''Literature/MagicTreeHouse'' series work like this. Inside them Jack and Annie can visit various places around the world, historical times, and fantasy lands. Somewhat unusually for this trope, Jack is ''already'' an avid reader when he discovers them.

* The various books in ''Literature/MagicTreeHouse'' seem to work this way. It's unclear, though, whether they actually send the protagonists side the book's setting or transport them to the historical era depicted in the book.

Chances are 10 to 1 that there will be AnAesop [[ReadingIsCoolAesop about the value of reading]]. Nobody is more likely to fall into a Portal Book than a video game or TV junkie who thinks books are boring. A {{Bookworm}}'s best hope of getting to experience this trope is if the Aesop is "BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor," and he must learn to stop withdrawing into the fantasy world of his books and "[[AntiEscapismAesop live in the real world]]." (Of course, ''either'' lesson runs the risk of being a SpaceWhaleAesop, given that books in the real world don't work like this.)[[note]]Unless the reader has an addictive personality- that's when things can get [[GoneHorriblyRight messy.]][[/note]]

* The plot of ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Chronicle]]'' is started when Arle and Carbuncle are sucked into a book and end up having to travel through its worlds alongside Ally and the rest of the gang.