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The Crystal Pendulum

GUARDIAN OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

A journey through a magical world, but one that’s filled with decidedly unmagical characters.

A group of friends find a new way to explore the ocean in the latest YA novel by Farrington (Shadows of Black Bayou, 2016, etc.).

The Spinners, a group of teenagers who previously starred in their own trilogy, get drawn into a more fantastic adventure than they expected while hunting for skinks on an island in Bermuda. After they fall down a hole inside a cave, they find themselves surrounded by tiny people who waste no time in shrinking the teens down to their own size. The Spinners soon learn that they’re now in Atlantis, the shrunken remnant of a once-great kingdom. The Atlanteans live in a luxurious dome on top of an underwater volcano, held in balance by a magic, crystal pendulum that keeps earth tremors from destroying the city. But their enemies, the Dredge, live in a dark, dangerous realm beneath the volcano called Undercroft. The Spinners join Princess Ariadne of Atlantis as she struggles to escape the evil plots of the Dredge leader, Styx, who wants to destroy the pendulum for good and bring down Atlantis—even though that would spell doom for his realm, as well. Along the way, they meet new friends, such as Slink the Skink, and battle giant cockroaches and other beasts. Farrington’s world of Atlantis is imaginative and often vividly described (“The pendulum aligns directly over a razor-sharp, triangular, pointed, black magnetic stone”). Unfortunately, the characters aren’t. Aside from terse introductions at the beginning, there’s hardly anything to distinguish one Spinner from another, even though some sport unusual names, such as Portagee. The dialogue doesn’t help matters, as it mostly consists of oddly clinical descriptions; for example, before they fight giant spiders, one character says, “On the surface, spiders tend to stay to themselves, but usually where there’s one, there might be others in the more remote places in this cave.”

A journey through a magical world, but one that’s filled with decidedly unmagical characters.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2016

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JUPITER STORM

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

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A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.

Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.

In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.

Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0

Page Count: 212

Publisher: Plum Street Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018

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BROTHERS IN ARMS

BLUFORD HIGH SERIES #9

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.

In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.

A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004

ISBN: 978-1591940173

Page Count: 152

Publisher: Townsend Press

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013

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