Thiel: One Foot in Front of the Other

Written by Lynne Pearl

This author has a gift for selecting the right words at the right time. Thiel Clay is a young man who has a crooked face and a cripple’s body, but in the words of the author, “Nature had given Thiel an ugly outer shell and a fine inner core.” He lived with his poor family and spent his days working on Squire Turo’s farm. He dearly loves his grandmother, Narn. One day his life dramatically changes when she passes away and she leaves him a box with a letter and a key inside.

Thiel cannot read or write; he takes the letter to a neighbor, Mr. Bunmet. The young man is astonished to learn that his grandmother left forty pieces of the realm in trust at the home of Justice Thwaite in the city of Goneton. Thiel is afraid; he has never been far from his village. Now to ponder a trip on foot to the city is an unthinkable task, but his kindly neighbor encourages him to be man and claim his fortune.

Thiel does not tell his parents, Sara and Ed, because he instinctively knows that they will claim that he is a simpleton and take it away from him. So Thiel carefully constructs a plan for his journey with his faithful dog, Heap. When they reach the house of Farmer Weeks, they are welcomed with food and warmth. More importantly he supplies Thiel with a warm coat and a map indicating a traveling plan for the journey. He volunteered to take care of Heap, while he was gone.

Thiel soon became homesick and scared as he reached the city outskirts and the terrifying crowds of noisy people. After much travail, Thiel finds the home of the Justice where he gets another surprise, he has also inherited the key to an estate far away in Minark. So begins another difficult journey….

Pearl uses personification effectively to describe nature and the medieval-like surroundings of Thiel and his time. The characters are well developed. Thiel is a character you want to embrace and hug. The contrast between city and country and modern versus traditional is played out well. Looking forward to reading more of this series. Suitable for children in middle grades and young adults. Mature readers will find it quite entertaining as well.

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Runaway

Written by Dennis Maley

This work of historical fiction which stretches nearly two hundred pages is a fascinating study of white and black characters struggling with each other not in the North and South but in the new western territories caught in the battle between slave and free. Maley’s protagonist is a fourteen year old black boy named Blanche Bruce who begins life as a slave in Virginia, but later struggles to assert his independence in Missouri after his current master’s death. Here he is owned by a printer who relies on him to set type for his newspaper. Bruce had secretly learned to read and write as a young boy. The author admits that Blanche is a composite character, but his thoughts and actions are very believable as the intricate plot unfolds.

Bruce will take a journey along the Underground Railroad, while he is pursued by the pro-slavery forces he left behind in Missouri. They consist of an unlikely alliance of preachers, lawmen, politicians and citizens. Butler reveals himself as a clever young man struggling to differentiate between exactly who are his friends and enemies. The pro-slavers found opposition in the abolitionists and free soil settlers who hoped to make the new territories a land of new opportunity. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot as Blanche struggles to find a safe haven. At the end of the tale, which has a surprise ending, the author provides an epilogue illuminating what facts are real and which are fiction. This section is instrumental in understanding the plot; the reader might wish she had it earlier as sometimes the story line becomes complicated to follow.

I still recommend the book as an interesting one appropriate for adults and children age twelve and older. It presents a good psychological study of the pre-civil war era that is a lot less widely known and understood. Students of mid-nineteenth history can use it as a vehicle for examining the personal, moral and political conflict occurring in America’s new territories at that time.

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Once Upon An Island

Written by D M Potter

After opening the attractive cover, the reader will discover the words HOW to PLAY. Yes, this book is a game of sorts; it is an interactive story. The reader’s decisions allow her to shape the story. At each chapter break, the reader obtains an opportunity to redirect the story. So, in effect, the reader is almost writing the outcome of the story.

General plot involves you being invited to New Zealand to spend holidays with your cousins, Stella and Max. These cousins are planning to journey to an island named Arapawa. You don’t have to go there. Instead you can make the choice to stay with your mother’s friend, Maddy. That is only your first choice.

I spent some time alternating between choices so I could get a good feel for the divergent story lines. Depending on whether you want to make a “safe” choice or be adventurous, your journey might involve time travel, animal adventures, exploring social issues, becoming a hero or getting involved in a kidnapping. I like the fact that the author chooses both a strong male and female protagonist allowing the book to appeal to boys and girls. The text is written clearly and simply. It could be considered an early chapter book. Siblings might enjoy reading the book together and taking turns making alternate choices. There are so many variations that children will want to go back to it over and over again to see what happens as different combinations are selected.

I feel the author missed an opportunity by not including some illustrations to accompany the alternate chapters. The cover is attractive and appealing. While the book is certainly fun and interesting, having a few pictures could have piqued the interest level even more. I would still recommend the book highly to parents, teachers and librarians as one that will encourage creativity, decision making and critical thinking skills for children in middle grades and older. Adults will certainly enjoy reading it aloud as well.

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Three Squared (Metaphysical Murder Mysteries)

Written by Koko Nervelli

This is the first book in a series featuring Madame Melancholy Marie, a psychic reader. She has recently relocated to the North Carolina coast after living through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the disappearance of her fiancee, Marcel, in her home town of New Orleans. The protagonist known as Mel to her friends, is struggling to adjust to life in a rural community suspicious of her because she is different. Together with her mystic cat named Sammy, she meets a client named Sarah Miller, who comes to her to solve the mysterious death of her husband in a strange motorcycle accident and her son’s unexplained death in Afghanistan. Weird things begin to happen including a mysterious dark fog, nightly dreams, and the numbers 4,3,2 popping up together.

Mel calls on two of her psychic friends for assistance. Linda has remained in New Orleans, while Isabella has moved on to an exciting life in New York City. Linda begins by making an astrology time-line chart. Isabella comes down to visit Mel and study the dark energy that has been surrounding her. Mel uses her mathematical skills to figure out all this information as Isabella takes over the interviewing with Sarah. Meanwhile Linda has been investigating by using her psychic contacts in New Orleans. She has discovered that Sarah’s daughter-in-law might be involved with the High Priest Zuu-Zuu who is known on the island of Jamaica and world-wide as a voo-doo priest obsessed with money. Soon after, Mel disappears. Isabella and Linda continue to piece together the puzzle in a desperate attempt to track down their friend and unravel the mystery. Their adventures will lead them on a wild journey filled with terror, dark spirits, magic and fantasy. Will they be successful in rescuing Mel, solving the crimes and eliminating the other-worldly dangers?

This is not the type of book I normally read. It combines murder, mystery, paranormal, magic and fantasy. Nervelli does a superb job of delineating full-bodied rich characters that will draw the reader into the struggle. There are lots of twists and turns. At times I did feel there was a bit too much detail and a slowing down in the story line pushing the limits of what the reader might believe acceptable even in a fantasy story. But this element as well as the strong characters are exactly what many young adult readers will enjoy. So if mystery and paranormal are two of your favorite genres, this book is your cup of tea. Characters will be further developed and enhanced in the rest of the series.

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Great Kids in History

Written by Michael Williams

Great Kids in History is a collection of twenty two short stories on the contributions of kids to history. Some of these names will be familiar to adults and many children. For example, there are stories about Thomas Edison, Andrew Jackson and Robert Fulton. But then you probably have never heard of Grace Bedell or Philo Farnsworth. This compilation is a nonfiction book that is not intended to be comprehensive or scholarly. It is written in simple language appropriate for independent reading in middle grades. The information presented is not exhaustive; it may give children a sense of pride in the achievements made by these young people in many fields such as politics, sports, inventions, science, the military and technology. I think that any boy or girl will find at least a few of these stories inspiring. Teachers will be able to select one or more as a springboard for discussion and research on many topics. My guess is that any adult who shares this book with a child will learn a thing or two as well!

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