Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands

Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

Age - 11-14

Grade- 6-9

494 pages - hardcover

c. 2018

      

         The Call of the Wraith is the fourth book in the Blackstone Key Adventure Series. The author has indicated that there will be a fifth book and possibly more, but the fifth book is not out yet. In this book Christopher has been shipwrecked and separated from his friends Tom and Sally. He has been taken in by a kindly Devonshire farmer but has lost all his personal memories. He can remember facts but he doesn’t know who he is or anything about his past. He has been seriously ill for thirteen days and the villagers believe he has been possessed by an unseen evil. He regained consciousness only after being visited by the local witch. There are also dark, mysterious things happening in the area. Children have gone missing and the local people believe it is the White Lady, a ghost or wraith from local legend that has returned and is taking the children. A mysterious little girl, who will not speak, has also turned up in the village and is being cared for by the same kind farmer.

            Eventually Christopher is reunited with Tom and Sally, who managed to stay with the ship during the terrible storm which caused Christopher to be thrown overboard. Christopher believes that trying to find the missing children is connected to him receiving his memories. The three friends, together with the mysterious little girl they call Moppet, set out to solve the mystery. They believe that Moppet must have escaped from whoever is taking the children.

            Some dark topics, such as witches and witch trails and missing children, are explored in the book but they are balanced by themes of friendship, loyalty and humor. When Christopher, Tom and Sally are trapped inside an evil tower and Christopher explains his escape plan Tom replies, “The fact that we keep ending up in places where we need gunpowder is not something to be proud of.” There is also a very moving scene where Christopher and Tom are trapped atop a cliff facing an angry and dangerous band of Barbary pirates. Each one knows it is very likely that they will die but neither one is willing to abandon his friend. Moppet and Tom develop a very special friendship. He is the only one she trusts and she literally clings to him for much of the book. Tom, for his part, is extremely loving and gentle with her. He grew up with several little sisters who he loves dearly. Finally, throughout the entire series, there is a continuation of the warm and loving relationship between Master Benedict and Christopher. After Benedict’s death, which happens in the first book, there are times when Christopher is in danger or discouraged and he hears in his mind his master speaking words of guidance or comfort to him.

            There is plenty of action, plot twists and excitement in this book. There are less codes and puzzles to solve but the mystery of the missing children takes a lot careful thinking to unravel. The historic elements of the witch trials and the Barbary pirates are well done and add realism and interest. The Raven, mentioned in book three, is mentioned briefly in the beginning and at the end of the book, but it looks like we will have to wait until book five to find out more about him. Keep reading.

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Historical Fiction, Adventure

Age – 10-13

Grade – 5-8

336 pages, hardcover

c. 2015

           A Night Divided, set in Berlin in 1961, is the story of then 8 year- old Gerta and her family waking up to find a barbed wired wall dividing their city. Her father and older brother Dominic are on the other side of the wall and cannot come back. Most of the story occurs four years later when Gerta, now 12, notices her father on the viewing platform of the wall making motions from an old song he used to sing to her involving digging. She concludes that he is asking her and her brother Fritz to tunnel under the wall.

            Attempting to escape Soviet controlled East Germany is extremely dangerous. Her best friend’s brother had tried to escape in the trunk of a car but was found and killed at the border. Now the whole family was under suspicion and being closely watched. Gerta’s mother has not the courage to do this and even her brother Fritz thinks her idea is crazy. However, Gerta is more like her father, who was involved in the resistance, and is determined to try. Eventually her brother joins her in this nearly impossible effort.  

            Nielsen does an excellent job of portraying the fear and resignation of many of the East Germans. Anyone could be a spy and trusting the wrong person could have disastrous results. Gerta and Fritz realize after a while that their apartment is bugged. Because of their father’s past political activity their family is being watched. To make matters worse it is almost time for Fritz to report for mandatory military duty. Tension continues to build throughout the story and since Gerta is the narrator the reader is drawn right into the action.

            This is a story about courage, perseverance, and the will to survive but it also a story of strong family dynamics. Even when they disagree about things, they are fiercely loyal to one another. Their mother is very against any attempt to try and escape to the west but when she realizes what Gerta and Fritz have accomplished she joins wholeheartedly in the effort. When Gerta or Fritz are exhausted, discouraged, or fearful the other one is there to support, encourage or do some of their work. Their love for one another is evident throughout the story and so is their desire to help their friends. In the end their hope, courage, and determination inspire others. In detailing a lesser known period of history, A Night Divided is also a story of true friendship, kindness, generosity, sacrifice, and regrets

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

 

 

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

Fantasy, Adventure

ages - 9-12

grades -4-7

206 pages, paperback

c. 1966

              The Castle of Llyr is a change of pace from the dramatic tension that ended The Black Cauldron. It deals with Princess Eilonwy’s background, introduces some new characters, and continues to show Taran’s growing maturity and self-awareness.  

            The story begins as Eilonwy is reluctantly preparing to travel to the Island of Mona to be trained as a proper princess by the king and queen there. Unbeknown to Eilonwy they also expect her to marry their son, prince Rhun. Taran is unhappy about her departure as he begins to realize how much he cares for her. Shortly after her arrival she is kidnapped with the help of the evil Chief Steward Magg and delivered into the hands of the evil enchantress Achren. Eilonwy is from the ancient and powerful house of Llyr whose women were powerful sorceresses. Achren hopes to use her powers to restore herself to a position of power.

            Much of the book describes the attempts of Taran, Gurgi, Fflewddur, Gwydion, and Prince Rhun to rescue Eilonwy. Prince Rhun is an interesting combination of a cheerful, good natured person and clumsy and naïve bungler who is often the cause of more problems. Taran’s relationship with him is further complicated by the fact that he is jealous of his potential relationship with Eilonwy and has promised his father, the king, to look after him and bring him back safely.  During their adventures the companions, except Gwydion, are trapped in a hut by a gigantic cat, Llyan, who has a great liking for Fflewddur’s harp playing and in a cave occupied by a depressed giant named Glew. When they finally reach Eilonwy they discover she is under an enchantment and does not recognize any of them.

            Though there is plenty of adventure I feel the real focus of the book is the growth of the characters Rhun, Taran and Eilonwy. Through his adventures, failures, and successes Rhun grows in self awareness and in the end is capable of great love and self - sacrifice. As Taran sees this he can put aside his jealousy and impatience with Rhun and accept him as a friend and companion. Perhaps the greatest change occurs in Eilonwy. At the start of the story she is the same strong willed, opinionated girl who likes getting her own way. At the end she is still strong willed but is using her will to save herself, her friends, and all Prydain at great personal cost. Again, without being didactic, Lloyd Alexander shows the superiority of humble self-sacrifice over the quest for power and glory.

           

 

            

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

Adventure, Fantasy

Grades 4-7

Ages 9-12

229 pages, paperback

c. 1965

        The Black Cauldron is a Newbery Honor Book and the second book in the Chronicles of Prydain series. This is a darker, more serious book than The Book of Three but there is also much humor which keeps it for being too heavy. This time Taran and his companions are facing a greater evil and the stakes are higher. It is decided that the Black Cauldron, which Arawn uses to create his deathless warriors, must be destroyed. To accomplish this the band, along with Gwydion and other strong warriors, must travel deep into Arawn's domain. Once there they discover someone else has already taken the Cauldron. Then begins the long quest to find the Cauldron and destroy it.

          All the main characters from the first book return and several new characters are added. Adaron, the son of the Chief Bard, is a noble young man full of wisdom and can see things in dreams. Prince Ellidry, the youngest son of his family and thus without much of an inheritance, is arrogant and prideful. There is constant tension between him and Taran for most of the book. King Morgant and King Smoit are renowned warriors, but where Smoit is good-natured Morgant is vain and tends to keep his own counsel.

As the company retreats, they are chased by Arawn’s guards as well as the dreaded Huntsmen of Annuvin, ruthless warriors who grow stronger when one of their company is killed. They escape but are separated from the rest of the warriors.  Eventually they learn that the Cauldron has been taken by three mysterious women and is now hidden in the dangerous Marshes of Morva. The choice to seek the Cauldron themselves is a difficult one and it is surprising that Adaon, who was put in charge of the band, defers to Taran who decides to go forward. On their way to the marshes Adaon asks Taran to take care of his few precious possessions should harm befall him. The most precious is a brooch he wears that helps him see things clearly and gives him wisdom in dreams. When Adaon saves Taran’s life from the Huntsmen and is mortally wounded and Taran wears the brooch he realizes just how precious it is. With his new wisdom Taran can lead the band safely through the dangerous marshes but is forced to make the difficult decision to give the brooch to the three enchantresses in return for the Cauldron. He then learns the only way to destroy the Cauldron, which was the intention from the start, is for a living person to willingly enter it to die. Devastated by this news they decide to bring the Cauldron back to Caer Dallben and hope the old enchanter Dallben has some wisdom about what to do with it.

The task of carrying the Cauldron is nearly impossible and requires Taran to give up all hope of being a hero as he must promise to Ellidyr, whose help and strength is needed when the Cauldron gets stuck in the mud, to say that it was Ellidyr who found the Cauldron. Ellidyr had earlier abandoned the group to seek the Cauldron himself. Another significant betrayal occurs as they near the end of their journey, illustrating the power of the Cauldron to tempt good men to evil in their quest for power.  Just as good men can turn to evil so an evil man can repent and from an unexpected source comes a willing victim to enter the Cauldron and destroy it.

There is much action in this story but what really drives the story is the characters and the difficult choices they must make. Alexander presents issues of friendship, loyalty, honor, and self-sacrifice in compelling but not didactic ways. He raises questions of what is heroic, good leadership and how to judge those who turn from good to evil and evil to good. Taran began the quest for the Cauldron with his new sword, given by Dallben, full of excitement and hope for glory. He returns much sobered and wiser from the adventure. He comments to Gwydion, “I had longed to enter the world of men. Now I see it filled with sorrow, with cruelty and treachery, with those who would destroy all around them.” Gwydion also reminds him “but there are equal parts of love and joy. Think of Adaron and believe this. Think , too, of your companions. Out of friendship for you, they would have given up all they valued; indeed all they possessed.”

 

 

Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Adventure, Fantasy

grade 4-7

ages 9-12

190 pages, paperback

c. 1964

            The Book of Three is the first book in the five- book series called The Chronicles of Prydain. It is a classic epic fantasy adventure for younger readers and can be enjoyed by older readers as well. It is inspired by Welsh mythology but is not a retelling of the Welsh myths. I think one of its best elements are the characters and especially how the main character, Taran, develops throughout the series. I also find the theme of the true cost involved in the battle against evil to be both inspiring and a more realistic view than what is often shown in the superhero world.

            The Book of Three introduces the main characters that will continue through the series and establishes the main conflict between the forces of good and evil that are fighting for control of the imaginary land of Prydain. All the major characters are well developed and shown with their virtues and weaknesses, often in a comical way. Taran, who is given the title of Assistant Pig-Keeper, because he longs to be important and heroic, is stubborn, impatient, prideful, and sometimes rude. He also tends to blame others for his mistakes. By the end of his adventure he has grown in kindness, learned some leadership skills, and takes responsibility for his own mistakes, and sometimes those of others as well. He also develops a more accurate picture of what a hero really is.  Eilonwy is a strong-willed, opinionated, talkative, and somewhat scatterbrained princess. She is also an enchantress. During their journey she too grows in her ability to be kinder, generous, and self-sacrificing. Gurgi is a curious character, part man and part beast. In the beginning he is cowardly, whinny, and mostly interested in getting fed. As Taran learns to treat him with kindness and respect he becomes a loyal, brave, and selfless member of the company. Fflewddur Fflam is a king bored with his duties, and a would-be bard given to excessive exaggerations about his bravery and accomplishments. He also becomes a truly brave, loyal, and selfless companion.

            There are also other characters taken from the Welsh legends. Gwydion, the noble warrior, and prince of Prydain's House of Don, Arawn, the dread lord of Annuvin, the land of the dead, the Horned King, war leader of Arawn, Hen Wen, the oracular pig under Taran’s care and Dallben, the old enchanter who has taken care of Taran since infancy. Gwyn the Hunter and his hounds also have some bases in Welsh Mythology. Their presence normally signifies death.

            Taran’s adventures begin when Hen Wen becomes frightened and runs off into the forest. Taran immediately runs after her though he has been forbidden to enter the forest. He quickly becomes lost, encounters and is wounded by the Horned King then found and helped by Gwydion. Taran is initially disappointed by Gwydion modest appearance but gradually comes to realize “it is not the trappings that make the prince, nor the sword that makes the warrior.” Gwydion needs to find Hen Wen to discover what she knows of the Horned King and since it is too dangerous to send Taran home himself it is decided that they will both seek Hen Wen. They are captured and separated. Taran meets the Princess Eilonwy, who helps him escape from the dungeon, the bard Fflewddur Fflam, and Gurgi, half man half beast. Believing that Gwydion is dead they decide to travel to Caer Dathyl to warn the Sons of Don that the Horned King and his army of Cauldron Born, deathless warriors, are coming to attack them.

            Taran and his companions face many dangers as they continue their perilous journey trying to avoid running into the Horned King and his warriors. Along the way Taran makes some bad and some good decisions. In the end the companions, by working together, do reach their destination. Through Taran eyes we see that that to be a great hero one does not need to be the greatest swordsman or most powerful magician. It is our choices that make us heroes and our friends and companions who make us great, and these lessons are told with a generous dose of humor. I highly recommend this book and the entire series.

           

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fantasy, Adventure

grade 6-8

ages 11-13

320 pages, hardcover

c.2020

       

            Race to the Sun is similar in tone to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson Series in which mythological characters and contemporary culture are combined. Nizhoni Begay is a 7^th grade Navajo girl with a burning desire to be famous and popular. Unfortunately, the only way she has been noticed lately is for her mistakes, such as missing the basketball being thrown to her at a critical time in the game and having it hit her in the face. The distraction was caused by her newly awaken power of recognizing monsters in human form. Mr. Charles, the businessman in the stands, and potentially her dad’s new boss, is a monster. He is extremely interested in Nizhoni and her slightly younger brother Mac. He has plans to use Mac’s power over water to help his oil and gas company in fracking and to kill Nizhoni, who is a monster-slayer, so he can release all the monsters who have been imprisoned in the past. Nizhoni slowly becomes aware of Mr. Charles plans, especially when her stuffed horned toad, Mr. Yazzie, comes alive and begins to tell her more about her ancestry. Mr. Yazzie tells Nazhoni that she and her brother Mac are the Hero Twins of Navajo legend and it is their destiny to fight these monsters. This will require them to travel to the sacred land of the Navajo and find four sacred objects that must then be presented to Spider Woman. She, in turn, will help them journey to the home of the Sun. They will ask the Sun for the weapons they will need to fight the monsters. They will also have to pass four trials on their way to the Sun. Nazhoni’s best friend, Davery, accompanies them on the quest.

            Race to the Sun is an exciting, fast moving story. It is narrated by Nizhoni which allows you to see her transformation from an insecure, self-centered girl with anger management issues to a brave, self-sacrificing girl who has a healthy appreciation of both her strengths and weaknesses. The book also deals with the importance of family and cultural identity, forgiveness, friendship, and the hard work and sacrifices necessary to be a real hero. Nizhoni learns to face and conquer her fears during the trials and learns the importance of working together with others during the great battle with the monsters. She also learns the truth about her mother’s departure when she was an infant and that forgiveness can heal many old wounds. Elements of Navajo culture, such as respect for elders and appreciation of the natural world are also illustrated. References to the four sacred mountains and their guardians as well as the mention of other holy people could inspire further research into Navajo mythology.

     Race to the Sun is part of the Rick Riordan Presents series of books that seeks to find authors of minority cultures that can tell stories reflecting their cultures. Race to the Sun is an action, adventure fantasy that uses Navajo mythology as its backdrop. However, as I looked at reviews of the book, I discovered that some traditional Navajo people did not like the book. Their objections included some distortions of the traditional myths and some trivializing of the sacred figures in the myths. A further discussion of this can be found at https://americanindiansinchildrenslit. Roanhorse is a Native American but not a Navajo. However, she is married to a Navajo and wrote this book for her daughter. In the Author’s Notes she states that she wanted to share the beauty of the Navajo culture with both Navajo and non -Navajo kids and to show heroes that Navajo kids could relate to. She also identifies herself as a fantasy writer, not a cultural expert.

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Historical Fiction, Adventure

ages 11-14

grades 6-9

336 pages, hardcover

c. 2019

            Words on Fire is a thought- provoking story about a little- known period in Lithuanian history. Russia occupied Lithuania from 1795-1918. After an uprising in 1863 – 1864 there was a 40-year ban on the Lithuanian language, press and books. This was the Tsar’s attempt to make the people adopt a Russian identity, but the people resisted. Some of the most courageous people were the book smugglers who risked their lives to bring people books in their own language and about their culture.

            This story begins in 1893 when 12-year-old Audra’s peaceful and sheltered life on the family farm is violently disrupted by the arrival of Cossack soldiers who arrest her parents. She barely manages to escape to the forest with a package her mother begged her to bring to a lady in a near-by village. Audra, whose name means storm, has chosen not to learn to read or write and is deeply troubled to learn that both her parents have chosen to risk their lives to smuggle books. She decides to deliver the book but has no plans to become involved in book smuggling. However, as she meets the individual book smugglers and does learn how to read and write, she becomes an enthusiastic, and skillful book smuggler.

            The story is told from Audra’s perspective and it is interesting to watch how her thought processing changes over time. At the beginning of the book she describes herself as “the girl who watched life from afar but rarely participated.” After she has learned to read and begins to understand the importance of the books in preserving the identity and culture of her people, she looks at herself differently. “I’d seen a glimpse of myself as I wished to be, a reflection of who I might become if I allowed courage to enter my heart, or ideas to enter my head…. When I imagined the girl I wanted to be, it was the girl who smuggled books.” This transition requires a lot of painful decisions. She desperately wishes to save her parents from being sent to the labor camps in Siberia and is given the opportunity if she will betray her new friend Lukas to Officer Rusakov.

            Lukas, another young book smuggler, Milda, the woman Audra brings the first book to, and Ben, an older book smuggler, are well drawn, courageous and self-sacrificing characters. Shortly after Lukas meets Audra he tells her a version of a Lithuanian folktale involving a brave girl and an evil snake trying to steal her family farm. While telling the story Lukas comments, “we’re all at risk of becoming the snake one day. The moment we start to choose what’s easy or safe, instead of what’s right, we start to become the snake.” This is the challenge the book smugglers face every day.

            This is a book that illustrates the importance of ideas and ideals and the sacrifices that are often necessary to protect them. It shows the importance of loyalty in friendship and the costly personal sacrifices that are sometimes required to keep them. There is also a moment of humor as Audra uses magic tricks, she learned from her father to trick Cossack soldiers. An inspiring, thought provoking, beautifully written book that I would recommend.

The Strangers

The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Adventure, Science Fiction

Ages 9-12

Grades 4-7

405 pages, hardcover

c.2019

           Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my favorite authors because she comes up with such original, compelling plot ideas. Her stories also have a positive feel even though she writes about difficult subjects. Perhaps the fact that she is a Christian account for this.

            The Grayson family, composed of Chess, age 11, Emily, age 9, Finn, age 7, and their mother, are a close knit, loving family. The three siblings, though very different in personalities, are very loyal and supportive to one another. The opening paragraph, which describes them racing home after school and letting Finn win, has the line, “Today he burst into the house calling out, “Mom! We’re home! It’s time to come and adore us!”

            This lovely picture quickly changes as the children find their mother distraught over the kidnapping of three children in Arizona who have their same names and birthdays. Suddenly she announces that she must leave for an urgent business trip and they will be staying with a friend of hers who they barely know.

            Haddix creates a suspenseful adventure story with elements of science fiction and many plot twists. As the children find the information their mother left for them to find, later, there are codes to unravel and more clues to follow. Throughout their adventure each sibling contributes to the solution using their unique gifts and talents. Chess is perceptive. He notices things and remembers them. He was the one who realized that they needed to use their personal knowledge about their mother to help solve the coded letter she left them. Emma is very logical and good with numbers which helps them apply the key to the code and begin to read the letter. Finn tries so hard to be brave and useful and he is the one who notices the different butterfly logos on his mother’s web pages which eventually helps them realize there is a code. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the siblings. This really helps in getting to know the characters and establishing a bond with them.

            The last part of the letter reveals the shocking news that their entire family comes from an alternative, evil world. Their parents were trying to bring down the evil leaders and in the end had to escape from that world. Now the children are faced with the question of how to rescue their mother. Read on to find out if their daring plan will succeed. There will be two more volumes in this Greystone Secret series.

The Player King by Avi

The Player King by Avi

Historical Fiction, Adventure

Age – 9-11

Grades – 4-6

195 pages, hardcover

c. 2017

          The Player King is historical fiction but based on the unusual true event of the orphan kitchen boy, Lambert Simnel, being trained to impersonate the missing Prince Edward, who has a truer claim to the English throne than the reigning King Henry VII. The Earl of Lincoln and Brother Simonds, actual historical persons, are those who train Lambert in order to regain their former positions of power and prestige.

            Lambert works in an underground tavern where his "life was worth no more than a spot of dry spit." When Brother Simonds first tells Lambert that he is Prince Edward Lambert thinks he is crazy. But after being trained in etiquette, given fancy clothes and fine food, he begins to believe that he is Prince Edward. He also begins to enjoy his new position of power to the point of abusing Brother Simonds. He learns, however, "The man who is close enough to help you up is near enough to push you down." Even when Lambert eventually learns that he was chosen because he looks somewhat like the actual Prince Edward, he tries to convince himself that he really is king.

         The story is told from Lambert’s point of view which allows the reader to share Lambert’s experiences as he is transformed from lowly kitchen boy to being crowned King of England in Ireland and leading an army to defeat King Henry VII. The short chapters, plot twists, and political intrigues keeps the action moving. The other characters are well developed and Avi supplies many historical details that give a real feel of the period. In keeping with the period, the language used at times is old-fashioned and younger readers might find that difficult.

         Avi raises many thought-provoking questions about the pursuit of power and to what extent one is willing to go in deceiving others in order to stay alive. Lambert is continually told by Brother Simonds, if you act like a king, you will be king.” In the end is Lambert a traitor or dupe or both?

           The Author Note at the back of the book explains what is known about the characters, the actual historical events and what was made up for the story. What happened to Lambert and the other historical characters is also revealed. The Ascendency Series, which I have blogged on, is a more detailed exploration of the same idea of presenting a royal look-alike to gain political power.

The Last Humanby Lee Bacon

The Last Human by Lee Bacon

Science Fiction, Adventure

ages - 9-12

grade 4-7

269 pages, hardcover

c. 2019

       The Last Human is about a robot civilization thirty years after the last humans have been exterminated. Therefore, robot XR_935 is so surprised when he encounters 12-year-old Emma, a human. The story is told from his point of view. He has been programmed to believe that all humans were dangerous, wasteful and the cause of many of the problems on earth due to their greed and violence. However, Emma is not at all like that. This causes XR_935 and his two coworkers, SkD_988 and Ceeron_902, to consider helping Emma reach the red dot on her map. Doing so goes against all that they know to be true and puts them in danger as well.

            This is an engaging, often humorous story, as the robots and Emma seek to understand each other. XR_935 has been designed with a complete data base of history and the information to do his job, which is solar installation. Ceeron_902 also works on solar installation but was designed to be super strong and do heavy lifting. SkD_988 works on solar installation as well but is a small robot who can move very quickly and communicates through emojis.

Besides being an adventure story, The Last Human is ultimately a story about friendship, technology, and the need to sometimes challenge the status quo, no matter the consequences. It raises many thought provoking questions about the nature of humanity, the danger of partial truths and the control of information in society, and what happens when one generalizes about a group of people. This is all done in a delightful, humorous way. Ceeron_902 has a great interest in human jokes and idioms which drives literal minded XR_935 crazy. In the beginning when Emma asks XR_935 if the other robots are his friends, he finds the concept incomprehensible, they are coworkers. By the end of the story there is no questions they are all, including Emma, real friends.

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Mark of the Plague by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure

Age - 11-14

Grade - 6-9

529 pages, hardcover

c. 2016

     The opening line of The Mark of the Plague, the second book in The Blackthorn Mystery Series is Tom saying to Christopher, his best friend, “This is a bad idea.” It is a comment Tom often makes and many times he is correct. Christopher is proudly showing Tom his latest invention, Blackthorn’s Smoke-Your-Home, designed to prevent the plague and bring Christopher some much needed income. It does succeed in filling the shop with a thick, sweet-smelling haze but it also left a big black scorch mark on the wall and set Harry, the stuffed hedgehog, on fire.

            Christopher is still mourning the death of his master, Benedict Blackthorn, and the plague has hit London very hard. A strange prophet, who wears a bird’s head mask, has come to London with the ability to predict who will die from the plague. An unknown apothecary has also come who claims to have a cure for the plague. Christopher is given a letter from his master by a friend. The letter reveals that Master Benedict has left him a treasure but to find it he must follow many cryptic clues. The letter say, in part, “Somewhere in our house is a prize, hidden for you. Treasure. Understanding your nature, you probably haven’t found it yet….You won’t find it until you realize something incredibly important. Our home is yours. Use everything you have been given. Recognize exactly what this is…Solve this one last riddle, and you’ll not only find your treasure, you’ll learn one last thing - and that is the most important thing I’ll ever want you to know.” The riddle is, “The young bird finds its treasure when it settles in its place, hidden, deep, beneath its feet; don’t let it go to waste.” Christopher spends most of the book trying to solve the riddle and it is his faithful friend Tom who eventually helps him to do it.

            Sands based this story on actual events and included the Bills of Mortality, which listed the number of people who had died each week. The Great Plague of London would ultimately kill one in five of the city’s residents. The humorous dialogue between characters, especially between Christopher and Tom, makes a nice balance from the dark events described in the book. Interesting new characters are introduced, both good and evil. One of these characters, Sally, continues to be a major character in the following two books. As with the previous book there is much action, narrow escapes and many plot twists. I highly recommend this book.

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Historical Fiction, Adventure

Age 11-14

Grade 6-9

371 pages, hardcover

c. 2015

          Picture the opening scene of The Blackstone Key. Christopher Rowe, apprentice apothecary to Master Benedict Blackstone, and his best friend Tom decide to build cannon in the shop while the master is out. It is illegal for an apprentice to make gun powder but Christopher has just decoded this recipe of his master. Things don’t go as expected and upon returning to the shop Master Blackthorn is looking at his large stuffed black bear which has been shot in the crotch, his straw guts spilling out.

      Although the book starts out with a humorous tone the story quickly turns serious. Apothecaeies are being murdered after being tortured. There is a secret cult that is looking for a recipe that will give them unearthly power and after Master Benedict is murdered Christopher realizes his own life is in danger. It is unclear who the real enemies are. Christopher must rely on his ability to decode mysterious puzzles his master has left him and the undying loyalty of his friend Tom to stay alive long enough to uncover who is behind the brutal murders.

            Set in London in the 1650’s this is a book of rich historical detail and well developed characters. Christopher is fearless when it comes to trying anything. This makes him a good apothecary and also gets him into a lot of trouble. But his courage and daring also helps him track down the people who killed his beloved master. When faced with a decision of great consequence his moral code helps him make a good choice. Master Blackthorn is a kind, generous master, unlike most others of the time. He is a lover of knowledge and truth and has a burning desire to help and heal others. Tom shows an amazing loyalty to his friend Christopher and reminds me of Sam’s relationship to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. There is much action, adventure, mystery, science, history and humor. The codes and puzzles that Christopher must solve involve astronomy, botany and especially chemistry. It is possible for the reader to solve these puzzles as the narrative provides the codes to uncover the mystery before you turn the page.

                There is a fair amount of violence in the descriptions of the murders and assaults that take place but they are appropriate for the time period. The actual murders happen off scene. There is also much sound wisdom offered in the book. One of the first lessons Master Blackthorn teaches Christopher is that some of the ingredients they use in small doses can heal and in larger doses can kill. He says, “It is never the tool that decides. It's the hands-and the heart-of the one who wields it.” Lord Ashcombe, the King’s Warden, remarks to 

Christopher about the way he tricked the leader of the cult, “You used his nature against him.”

            While I still like The Ascendancy Series very much, see blog posts May 5, July 4, Aug 1,  The Blackstone Mystery Series is now my favorite book series. There are three additional books in the series. Watch for future blogs.

Revealed by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Revealed by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Science Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction

Age - 10-13

Grade  -6-8

438 pages, hardcover

c. 2014

Revealed is the seventh book in The Missing Series. In many ways it is the most complex and confusing book in terms of how the time travel elements are presented. It is also different from the other books in the series because there is no missing child from history to rescue and Jonah is on his own to solve the various problems that come up. His sister, Katherine, has been kidnapped by Charles Lindbergh and turned into a baby. All the other missing children from history have disappeared and all the adults in the area, including Jonah’s parents and JB and Angela, have been turned into young teenagers.

As the title suggests there is much that is revealed in this book, including Jonah’s real identity. However, since that would be such a big spoiler I will not mention it in this review. Gary and Hodge, the original time kidnappers, are responsible for all the problems Jonah is forced to deal with and this time the problems they have created with time seem to be beyond his ability to repair. Jonah is faced with the very real possibility that he will lose all those he loves and his own life as well. When, at a critical moment, he asks the Elucidator for help he is told that getting any help depends on the next decision he needs to make.

Much of the action revolves around the 1932 kidnapping of the son of Charles Lindbergh and his determination to find his son. As usual, Haddix provides much historical background in the author’s note at the back of the book. Lindbergh himself is an interesting and complex character. Though some of his actions and thoughts are fictional they reveal his development as a character. As the author notes reveal Lindbergh was not willing to stop the search for his son for some time. He managed to finally accept his death and go on with his life.  For a time he worked with the Ford Motor Company in connection with one of their factories that was building bombers. From there he became a test pilot, a test subject for extreme conditions for pilots, and a fighter-pilot instructor. In the novel he comments to Jonah, “I have learned that even with time travel, some things just are. They can’t be changed or undone or fixed. But people, people can heal. Even from events they believe ate unendurable.”

A major part of the book is the character development of Jonah himself. He has been maturing throughout the series but in this book he has attained a new level of self-sacrificing love. He is no longer impulsive or careless in his actions and decisions. He has learned that little actions can have great consequences, how tiny moments of helping one person can save many. So when everything seems lost he decides there is still one thing he can fix, one thing he can do before he dies. There is one thing that would be perfect and right and good, even as everything else is wrong.

There are many things I didn’t mention in this review but I encourage you to read the book. There are parts about time that are confusing but there is much that is inspiring and the plot twists and adventure are all there. There is one more book in the series. Jonah’s adventures and trials aren’t over yet.