Kidd, Sue Monk (2002). The Secret Life of Bees. New York, NY: The Penguin Group, 302 p.

ISBN: 0-670-89460-5

Genre List: Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Literature & Language Arts – 2008

Annotation:

Fourteen year old Lily lived during a time when blacks and whites were expected to live separate from each other. But Lily could not sit still knowing that Rosaleen was at the mercy of a group of white men, nor could she stay another day with T. Ray.

Review:

Fourteen year old Lily Owens lives with one of the meanest men ever born: her father, T. Ray. Her mother was accidently killed by by Lily herself, when as a small child she pulled the trigger on a loaded gun. But whenever Lily feels lonely or needs comforting, she pulls out a tin box that contains some of her mother’s things and looks at them. One item in particular holds her interest, a picture of a black Mary, with the words “Tiburon, S.C.” written on the back.

Rosaleen, the black housekeeper, is as close as Lily has to a mother now, and she protects Lily as  fiercely as she can against the wrath of T. Ray. That’s why when Rosaleen gets arrested and beaten for insulting a group of white men, and T. Ray refuses to do anything to help Rosaleen, Lily takes it upon her fourteen year old self to “spring” Rosaleen out of jail, and head them both towards Tiburon, SC, where she hopes to find  information about her mother. Through a few instances of good luck, Lily and Rosaleen end up staying with the Boatwright sisters, the very sisters who place the picture of the black Mary on the jars of honey they sell.  Life for Rosaleen and Lily calms down as the settle into a routine with the sisters and get used to their peculiar ways:  August, the oldest with a no-nonsense business mind; Jume, the middle sister, skeptical of everything and everyone; and May, the youngest, happy and carefree one minute, fretting, crying, and singing her mourning song “Oh! Susanna” the next.

The living arrangements were working out fine until two very bad incidents happened: May drowned herself in the river, and T.  Ray showed up at the house. Luckily, the women in the house were able to defind Lily, causing T. Ray to leave with no fight left in him. Lily and Rosaleen were now free to live without the fear of T. Ray haunting them.

This is a very well written story, with strong female characters. The story deals with a serious matter race relations in the south and family abuse, but the few instances of humor kept the tone light. Fortunately, we live in a much better time period when it comes to race relations. The strength of this work is that it offers teens a fictional story with a true life theme in which they can gain an understanding of race relations in the South in 1964. I think this book would appeal to male and female teens 15-18 years old, but I think girls would be more likely to pick it up because of the title and cover, which features a picture of a jar of honey on a window sill; the picture is calm, and looks like something a girl would want to read.   

Willingham

Woodson, Jacqueline (1998). If You Come Softly. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 181 p. ISBN: 0-399-23112-9

Genre List: Keepin’ It Real (Realistic Fiction)

Annotation:

Jeremiah was black and proud, and beginning the school year at mostly white Percy Academy. Jeremiah was not sure how he would fit in, or even if he wanted to fit in. And then he met the Jewish girl, Ellie.

Review:

Jeremiah (Miah) and Elisha (Ellie) were both new to Percy Academy, a prestigious prep school in Manhatten. Both were slightly leary about attending because neither of them had friends there. But on the day they literally bumped into each other in the hallway, they were both struck with a sense that there was something about the other that they want to get to know. It was awkward at first, this getting to know each other, because Miah was black, and Ellie was Jewish, and sometimes outsiders just did not understand, which is why Ellie kept Miah a secret from her parents.  After much daydreaming about each other, and asking “what if” questions, Miah and Ellie finally became a couple, turning to each other for comfort whenever they were stared at or whispered about. But for all the rejection they faced in public, Miah’s mother welcomed Ellie and the relationship, and began to spend a lot of time at Miah’s house.

Then one day as Miah and Ellie stood on a corner in her neighborhood, Ellie told Miah she was going to tell her parents about him immediately, and then he could come home with her to meet them.   Miah was beyond happy, and began to run as he dribbled his basketball, forgetting his father’s warning to never run in a white neighborhood. Miah was shot and killed by the police who were looking for a tall dark skinned man.

This story is beautifully written with an honesty that makes the characters real. Interracial dating has always been a hot topic, and no matter how much we say societal views have changed, interracial couples can tell you that they have not. The strength of the story is that  it is written in a modern time frame which teens can relate to, and that the story is told from a teen point of view. The story puts words to the thoughts and feelings of any young person who finds him/herself attracted to someone, whether it is someone from another race or not. There is nothing spectacular about the cover, which is a picture of Central Park during winter, with the New York  skyline in the background, but the title is catchy enough that girls 14-18 years old would be attracted to it, and then spread the word about it to boys. This story could also be used as a resource to a unit on teen dating, especially interracial dating.

Willingham   

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds (1999). Jade Green. New York, NY: Atheneum, 168 p. ISBN: 0-689-82005-4

Genre List: Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Annotation: Ignoring the one condition of moving in with her Uncle, Judith Sparrow brings the color green into his house and awakens the ghost of Jade Green.

Review:

With the recent passing of her mother, fifteen year old Judith Sparrow is now an orphan. Her Uncle Geoffrey has agreed to take her in to help with the housekeeping, but with the strict order that she must not bring anything green into the house. With explanation for the order, Judith sees no harm in bringing one small green item into the house: a picture of her mother in a frame with green silk, which is small enough to keep hidden away. But on her first night in the house, Judith hears scratching noises coming from the closet in her trunk sits, with the picture frame inside; Judith dismisses the noise as mice.  It was on her job at Helene’s Hat Shoppe that Judith learns about the girl Jade Green from her co-worker Violet Morrison. Twelve year old Jade Green had been taken in by Uncle Geoffrey, but for some unknown reason, had committed suicide in the house. Green had been her favorite color, and the reason it was now forbidden in the house, not even green vegetables could be served with meals. Meanwhile, as Judith unfolded the mystery of Jade Green’s death, she found that her Cousin Charles someone not to be trusted or left alone with as he had begun to make passes at her.

One night the ghost of Jade Green made itself to Judith in the form of a severed hand that would walk across the floor, play the piano, and even chop with a meat cleaver. Jade did not tell her Uncle or anyone else about the hand, but tried to trap it with rat traps. Judith later learned that Jade Green had bleed to death after chopping off her hand with a meat cleaver. After setting a fire in the house that could have killed Judith and Mrs. Hastings who were locked in the cellar, Cousin Charles was ordered to move out. But Cousin Charles came back drunk, and tried to force himself on Judith. While in the process,  Cousin Charles confessed to killing Jade Green by chopping off her hand and making it look like a suicide, and that he was going to stab Judith and leave the same impression. But the hand of Jade Green choked Cousin Charles to death before he could make good on his threat.

I found this to be a very intriquing, well written ghost story, which also unfolds as a good mystery. Most teens love ghost and horror stories, so I am sure this would become a favorite read for the 12-18 year old crowd, male and female. The strength of the story is that it weaves the unbelievable (the hand) into the story so smoothly, you the reader do not see it as and odd occurrence.  The cover features a blurred picture of a terrified looking  girl with an expression on her face as if she has seen a ghost. The back cover features a shot of the girl sitting up in bed with the same terrified expession on her face. A cover such as this is sure to attract readers as they would want to know why the girl looks so frightened.

Willingham

Cameron, Peter (2007). Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 229 p. ISBN: 978-0-374-30989-3

Genre List: Sexual Identity

Annotation:

James Sveck is 18 years old and stressed over dealing with his mothr’s antics and trying to figure out what to do with his life. 

Review:

Eighteen year old James Sveck is experiencing a serious life crisis that threatens to send his divorced parents into a coma: he does not want to go to college, even if it is the prestigious Brown University. James would like to take a more practical route in life, like move away from New York, and buy a house in the midwest. His mother, uniquely neurotic, and his father, uniquely “anal”, think this is the worst idea possible. The only person who agrees with this plan is James’ grandmother, who offers all the support and solice humanly possible. But James’ parents are sure he just needs the right guidance, one day his mother announces to him that he will begin sessions with Pyschiatrist, Dr. Rowena Adler. Through these sessions, James begins to voice his unhappiness, and his desire to be left alone. Despite this desire for lack of interation with people, James toys with the idea of being in a relationship with John Webster, the gay African American male who runs his mother’s gallery. However, James ruins any chance may have had by posting a false profile on John’s gay dating website. Not only did the incident put James in bad company with John, it made his parents even more curious about whether James was gay, for he refused to give them a definte answer -  he just let the issue hang in the air.

In the meantime, James’ grandmother Nanette proved to be the best source of comfort for him, and his most fierce cheerleader, which is why he refused to get rid of any of the household things she left him when she died. That fall, James decided to enter Brown University after all, and try to lead a life considered “normal”.

As I read this story, I tried to imagine what it would be like to purposely withdraw from people the James did. I think everyone feels that way at one time or another. James has a few issues taking over his life (not wanting to go to college, not wanting to socialize, and accepting that he is gay). The story deals with some heavy, but important issues that I am sure teens are experiencing and thinking they are the only one. A book such as this can offer some relief from dealing the pressures they face. I think the strength of the story is that it provides a realistic portrayal of these issues. Since it seems that males are usually more likely to be undecided about their future endeavors, I think this story would appeal to makes 15-18 years old. I also believe the combination of the title and the picture of the young man holding his head in his hand would attract boys to read it.

Willingham

Lowry, Lois (1993). The Giver. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 180 p. ISBN: 0-395-64566-2

Genre List: Margaret A. Edwards Award – 2007

Annotation:

Jonas has been selected to be the next “Receiver of Memory”, a highly revered, but mysterious position in the community. Jonas learns much from “The Giver”, he just hopes he has learned enough to keep himself and baby Gabriel alive.

Review:

Twelve year old Jonas lives a very structured life, in a very controlled community with set rules of conduct, and the watchful eye of the “Speaker” who makes sure everyone functions properly. Jonas’ family, prescribed by the community, consists of his parents and a younger sister, Lily. Because of the strict rules, family dynamics, and the watchful eye of “The Speaker”, life is seemingly perfect: Everyone knows their status and what is expected of them (even the children); food clothing, shelter, and transportation are provided to the families; everyone is trained in a certain skill or occupation, and everyone prides themselves on using language correctly.

Jonas is growing is growing, accepting his responsibilities and expectations in life with no qualms – until he is selected to be the next “Receiver of Memory”, and learns that life as he has known it is all an ugly lie. Through his instructor, “The Giver”, Jonas discovers experiences he never knew existed, such as cold, excruciating physical pain, colors, smells, pleasure, and death. Jonas was astonished at all that had been withheld from him and the others, and tried to share he new found knowledge with his friends Fiona and Asher, but because of there lack of a frame of reference, there was no way to make them understand. Jonas began to distrust the community way of life, and saw it as it really was: a lie. There were many things that distrubed Jonas about the community way of life, but it was the “release” ceremony that was most the unforgivable. Jonas and the others had always thought the “release” of someone, especially for the “newchildren” and the “old ones” was a happy, joyous occasion. But one day Jonas watched a taping of his father “releasing” a newchild, which in reality was death by lethal injection, and then dropping the body down a trash chute. Jonas is distraught by what sees, and realizes he cannot bear this knowledge, and no longer wants to live in the community. That is when he and “The Giver” devise a plan for Jonas to escape to the place known as “Elsewhere”. The plan was air-tight, and any possible mishaps has been pondered and solved. 

Jonas and “The Giver” had decided to execute the plan on the day of the next naming ceremony when Jonas would be least likely to be right away. But the unthinkable happened: Jonas found out that the newchild, Gabriel, who had been staying with him and his family, had been scheduled for “release” the next morning. And because Jonas now knew what that really meant, he knew that only he could save the child. So Jonas set out that night with Gabriel, stealing his father’s bicycle and as much food as he could carry. This was not at all the way he and “The Giver” had planned his escape, but with Gabriel’s life in danger, there was no time to waste with the safer plan. Jonas indeed reached the place call “Elsewhere”, but with a tired, cold, hungry, and painful body, and a baby in equally bad shape. The story does not end with a definite answer as to whether Jonas and Gabriel survived their journey and lived happily ever after – the author simply left that to the readers to decide.

A community such as this seems odd and extreme, but it depicts the life society strives to accomplish: everyone follows the rules, all citizens are productive in the community, and everyone is happy, without a care in the world. I found the storyline to be very imaginative and well thought out, and I liked having the option at the end to believe that Jonas and Gabriel survived. I actually needed to have that option after Jonas had worked so hard. I am sure a story such as this would readily appeal to males 12 -16 years old. The cover is not fancy, just a picture of an elderly man with a worried look on his face, and a tear-out showing a group of trees, which gives no clue as to the powerful story inside. However, the previous cover showing an adult hand passing light to a child’s hand is more eye catching.  Despite the cover, this is a story that would spread through word of mouth. The strength of the story is that it illustrates the importance of forming your own opinions, and staying true to your beliefs, even if means you will no longer be a part of a community.

Willingham    

Willingham

Myers, Walter Dean (1999). Monster. New York, NY: HarperTeen, 281 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-440731-1

Genre List: Michael L. Printz, 2000

Annotation:

Sixteen year old Steve Harmon is on trial for felony murder, a situation so unreal to him that he decides to record it as a movie. But what is real to Steve is whether his young life will be spared or ended.

Review:

Sixteen year old Steve Harmon is on trial for felonious murder, a crime he did not commit.  Steve is a good kid who made a bad decision: the decision to be the “look out” guy for a drug store robbery. A robbery that should have been quick and easy, but he and his partners in crime did not count on the store owner pulling a gun on them.  However, the store owner did not count on being shot and killed with his own gun.  So now Steve and his crime partners are on trial for the murder of the store owner. Steve is young, scared, and stunned. If convicted, he could get 25 years to life in prison. Steve hates prison already just from the short time he has been locked up for the trial, and knows he would not last 25 years to life.

Steve cannot believe the turn his life has taken; it’s like an “out-of-body” experience, so Steve has decided to make a movie of it – writing the script as the trial unfolds. This becomes the perfect coping mechanism him – and then he is referred to in the court room as a “monter”. Him, Steve Harmon, reduced to one word “monster”.

The trial is nerve-wrecking for both Steve and his family. The only person who seems to be cool is his lawyer, and this is probably because she has doubts that Steve is innocent, and is sure the will be found guilty; she is just going through the motions. When the verdict is read and Steve is declared innocent, she is stunned, so much so, she cannot acknowledge Steve’s gesture for a hug, and walks away without saying a word to him. Steve can now bring closure to this particular movie, but he still has a need to know and understand who he is as a person, so he continues to film himself and study his images, because he wants never again to called a “monster”.

I have never had to defend my life on trial or in jail, but this story is written with enough clarity that I could imagine how I would feel, what my attitude and fears would be if I were to end up in a situation such as this. The story is very well written, and I think the format of a script makes the storyline and characters more realistic.   I also believe that such a format would hold a teen’s interest in reading the story. The language of the story would also hold their attentin better because the characters talk like them – tough on the outside, but scared and doubtful on the inside.

The jacket cover features the mug shot of an African-American male with the word “Monster” in bold silver letters; that alone would catch the attention of male readers, 13-18 years old. The strengths of the book are the quality of the writing, and the depiction of  “how” Steve was thinking as the trial went on.  Steve realized he had made a mistake with his decision to help with the robbery, and thought about how things would be different if he had just not gone along that day. Hopefully, this underlying message of making good choices will not be missed or skimmed over by a young reader.

Willingham

Carey, Mike, Liew, Sonny, and Hempel, Marc (2007). Re-gifters.  New York, NY: DC Comics, 148p.

ISBN: 978-1-4012-0371-9

Genre List: Graphic Novels for Teens – 2007

Annotation:

Hapkido Champion Dik Seong Jen has her eyes and heart set on Adam Heller, and will do anything to get his attention. If only he had his attention set on her.

Review:

Dik Seong Jen (Dixie) has a major crush on handsome Adam Heller, and cannot stop thinking about him. This is normal behavior when you are love struck, but Dixie is a fierce Hapkido fighter, and focused  concentration is a must for a successful outcome.  Adam is also a Hapkido fighter, and just as skillful as Dixie, but his focus is on Megan  Schofield. Upon getting an invitation (finally!) to Adam’s birthday party, Dixie realizes she must do something impressive enough for Adam to make her stand out in the crowd, so she decides to buy him a $200.oo Hwarang Warrior figurine with the money that she was supposed to use to pay her entry fee into the upcoming Hapkido tournament. The figurine is beautiful, and carries a lot of meaning for Korean people. But Adam is not “blown away” with the gift, which greatly disappoints Dixie. To make matters worse, Adam actually asks Dixie for advice on how to approach Megan, which did not go over well with Dixie.

In the meantime, neighborhood tough guy Dillinger (Tomas) has taken a liking to Dixie, and has become her protector, as well as a major source of moral support. Adam, however, is determined to gain Megan’s attention and approval, so he re-gifts her the Hwarang Warrior figurine. When Megan’s brother tells her that she has been “re-gifted”, she allows him to take it for pawning.

The day of the tournament finally arrives, and Dixie and Adam both do well, so well they must face each other in the final round. Adam actually tried to get Dixie to purposely lose her semi-final match because he knew it meant they may be fighting against each other in the final round, and he did not want to hurt her.  Adam actually told Dixie that he liked her, which really disturbed her focus on the fight. But Dixie regained herself and won the round, advancing her to the final match against Adam. Adam again tried to blur Dixie’s concentration by telling her how much he liked her just before the start of the match, and he might have succeeded if it had not been for Dillinger, who at that  moment,   entered the room and re-gifted the Hwarang figurine to Dixie. Dixie became so angry that Adam had given the figurine away that she smashed it, and then smashed Adam in the match, making her the tournament champion. To top it off, Dixie realized she was completely over Adam, and now completely attracted to Dillinger, and wasted no time telling him. And this time, her “crush” was reciprocated.  

I enjoyed this story, and was brought back to my high school memory when the guy I had a crush on asked me about another girl that he was interested (so not a good feeling!).  So I was completely able to relate to Dixie’s explosive reaction. Teenage crushes are extremely consuming because this whole thing of liking someone is so new and so important. I think the realness of the storyline is the strength of the book because a reader can relate so easily with Dixie’s pain. I think the cultural references to Korean culture is another strength. The rejection of a crush may seem like the end of the world to a young person, but the tone of the story is kept light, and has a happy ending for Dixie and Dillinger. The illustrations of the story are plain black, white, and grey, but the facial expressions add to the conveyance of emotions. The cover of the book is attractive and simple, showing Dixie with a slight scowl on her face; the bow and title give a clue as to the look on Dixie’s face. I think this story would appeal to males and females, 12-16 years old.

Willingham

Almond, David (2000). Kit’s Wilderness. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 229 p. ISBN: 0-385-32665-3

Genre List: Michael L. Printz Winner, 2001

Annotation: John Askew has an unusual facination with death, so much so he has developed a game in which the players “die”. John is on a destructive course in which he actually could die, but not if Kit can get to him first.

Review:

Thirteen year old Kit Watson was new to the community of Stoneygate; he and his family had moved there to take of his sickly grandfather who was losing his memory. John Askew was the first person his age to approach Kit and introduce himself, and even though Kit sensed that something was not quite right about John, he was strangely curious about him. Slowly, Kit learned that John was somewhat an outcast and trouble maker in Stoneygate, but he could not shake his desire to know more about him.

     John constantly told Kit that they were alot alike, that they sensed things others could not. Kit learned that there was truth to what John said the day he played the game of death and he was chosen to “die”. Of all the children who had ever played the game, Kit was the only one to actually see and hear the ghost children. Kit did not understand any of this, but his grandfather did because of his recurring dream about chasing a little ghost boy in the coal mines that everyone called Silky.

     The next time Kit “died” playing the game, the incident was interrupted by one of the teachers. All of the students were reprimanded, but John Askew was expelled and disappeared from the community. And then one Bobby Carr came to Kit, informing him that John wanted to see him, and  led Kit to the underground mine in which John had been hiding.  John’s intent was that he and Kit die together in the cave, but Kit talked with him, got John to open up about his feelings, and told him about the story he had been writing. In the meantime, the towns people outside the mine were looking for Kit, fearing the worst; it was Allie who finally found them and brought them out.  Even though Kit was alive, with only the cut on his thumb from becoming blood brothers with John, the towns people were ready to punish John. Because Kit had spent the night talking to John and getting to know his fears and concerns, Kit was able to convince the towns people that John Askew was not the monster that everyone had painted him to be, which saved him from further ostracism. John was eventually reinstated at school, and he and Kit became best friends.

I found this to be an interesting storyline. I think everyone has experienced a curiosity with death as a child, sitting with peers and exchanging information gained from our own interpretations and fears, so I am sure there are games of “death” that really exist that young people engage in.  I think a story like this would appeal to young readers 12-15 years old because of this curiosity with the mysteries of death and ghosts. The strenght of the book is that it is written in a believable way in which a young reader could pick out a character put him/herself into the story. I think the strength of the story is that it points out that even the kid that everyone thinks is strange or mean has another side to them that needs to be nurtured. The fact that Kit took the time to talk to John to find out his feelings and way of thinking about things set an example that everyone is human and deserves the same concern as anyone else. The  title and cover of the book should attract male readers because it features a young teenage boy, with a crowd of smaller boys in the background; the picture and title alone suggest that this is a book written for boys, and is full of adventure.

Willingham

Castellucci, Cecil & Rugg, Jim (2007). The Plain Janes. New York, NY: DC Comics, 145 p. ISBN: 978-1-4012-1115-8

Category: Great Graphic Novels for Teens – 2008

Annotation:

When Jane moves fromt Metro City to the burbs, she is consumed with the desire to “fit in”, but finds it difficult to be accepted. And then she gets the bright idea to form her own “clique”.

Review:

When Metro City experiences a bombing, her parents decide to move far away to the safe haven of a suburb, and though the family is safer, and her parents happier, Jane is miserable. Beside the fact that Jane is having trouble making friends, there is no art culture this new place, and it is driving Jane crazy.  At school, Jane struggles to fit in the group of girls that she feels are “her people” - all with some form of the name” Jane”; the major obstacle is that the girls want nothing to do with Jane.

     But art is Jane’s life buoy, and she is trying to use it to save herself and the young man in Metro City who is in a coma. Drawing on her love of art, and the inspiration she receives from the young man’s sketch book, Jane forms an art club, People Loving Art in Neighborhoods (P.L.A.I.N). The purpose of the club is to twofold: serve as a vehicle for rebellion, establish art culture in the suburb. Jane successfully recruits the other three Janes into the club, and before long, the entire student body is backing the club, which has now become a movement. In the end, Jane not only makes friends, she becomes quite popular, proving that art does save. Jane also found out that the young man in the coma survived, and moved back to his native land of Poland; Jane sent him back his sketch book, and a blank one so that he could use to continue his art endeavors.

I found this story to be encouraging in that many young people face the difficult task to trying to fit in, whether they are new to setting, or they have been there all along. This book shows that you can slink away into a corner, or you can take control by doing to change a situation for the better for yourself. Jane’s choice was to form her own club, and recruit her own members. The strength of the  story is that it shows the importance of having a personal interest in something. Jane never let go of her love of art, or her concern for the young man in the coma. The pictures helped with the tone of the story in that the authors put much effort in  showing emotions on the faces of the characters.  The pictures are all in black, white, and shades of grey, but it does not take away from the effectiveness of the story.

I would say that male and female teens, 13-18 years old with an interest in art, or who have a rebellious nature, would be most likey to want to read this story.  The cover is not very catchy, which features a color sketch of the bottom half of the Janes, and a set of lockers, and neither is the title, but I think the book would circulate through well through word of mouth.

Willingham

Dickinson, Peter (2001). The Ropemaker. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 375 p. ISBN: 0-385-72921-9

Genre List:  The Way It Coud Be (Science Fiction or Fantasy) 

Annotation:

 Tilja does not possess the gift of communicating with the trees as do the other women in her family, but she finds out that this “lack” is much more valuable for saving her people from the evils of the Emperor.

Review:

For generations, Woodbourne, the valley in which Tilja lives, has been projected by the forest that causes men to become sick,  and the glacier to the north that does not permit passage into the valley. But something is happening; there is a force in the forest that is blocking and weakening the communication that happens when the women in the valley sing to the Cedar trees, and the men in the north sing to the waters that form the glacier.  The people realize that the only way to combat this problem is to visit the magician who originally bestowed the magic on Woodbourne, and  have it reinstated. The problem is that the magic was given to the people forty seven generations ago, so there is a strong possibility that magician, Faheel, is no longer livimg. But, the survival of Woodbourne depends on it, so Tilja, her Grandmother Meena (who can communicate with the trees), and two of the males from the north, Tahl and and his blind Grandfather Alnor, ( who can communicate with the waters) set out on a journey to find Faheel. Tilja feels very inadequate about going on the trip because she does not possess any magic, and does not think she will do any good coming along on the trip. However, Tilja’s lack of magic proves to be valuable because she can serve as a shield from the detection of magic; this gives her the priviledge to carry the most important object in their possession: the magic spoon Axtrig which can lead them to Faheel.

     Along the way, the group finds themselves in some peculiar encounters: they must not let it be known that they have Axtrig, or that Meena and Alnor possess magic;  they are captured by bandits, but rescued by an unidentified man who weaves his magic into ropes to help them; the grandparents must visit the land of Goloroth and pose as a couple who have come to die, but must figure out a way to get out, since elderly people never leave this place of death; and  they must help  Faheel rid the kingdom of the current Emperior and his magic, and then establish the new Emperior – the man who rescued them using the ropes. Their adventure is both dangerous and exciting, and along the way, Tilja comes to realize her worth, and the important role she plays in restoring protection to her people in the valley. The group is success in their mission, in do indeed save Woodbourne from danger.

I am not big on fantasy, but I enjoyed this story; I found the imagination of the author to be very clever. I think everyone at one time looks at the talents and skills of other people, and feel inadequate. This is what Tilja experienced as she watched her grandmother and mother sing to the trees, and to find out that her little sister possessed the gift was an even greater blow to her self-esteem. But the strength of the story is that Tilja learned that everyone’s gift is unique and individual,  and serves an importance of its own;  this is a message that all young people need to hear. I think this book would appeal to both male and female fantasy lovers, 13-18 years old,  because it features male and female characters. The only drawback may be the lengthiness of the book for younger readers, but once you get into the meat of the story, the length does not matter. The cover of the book would definitely attract fantasy readers because the figure featured is shrouded in a mysterious haze, which lets you know the story is about something “other worldly”.

Willingham