SNEAK PEEK PREVIEW: Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact by A.J. Hartley; published by Razorbill, an imprint of the Penguin Group, New York; 2011.

NOTE: This review is based on a copy provided for free by the publisher through the Early Reviewers program on LibraryThing.com.  The publication information is subject to change.  Expected release date: October 13, 2011.

Darwen Arkwright looks in a mirror given to him by a strange man in a strange store in an Atlanta mall. He sees an alternative universe. Why wouldn’t he? It seems this 12 year old orphan would like to escape his reality–losing his parents, transplanting from his home in England, living with his less-than-maternal aunt, and ditching the weird new private school. Only for Darwen, the alternate world in the mirror is real; it is Silbrica. And there is a dastardly plot afoot to cross the boundaries separating the two worlds which will have dire consequences. Darwen and his new friends, Rich and Alexandra, synergistically combine their talents to make sure the gateway between Silbrica and our reality is not breached.

I was very impressed by the depth of character development and plot in this story. The combination of good-old-adventure and a fantasy world works well as a foil for the real challenges Darwen’s life has thrust upon him. In conquering the fantasy problem, his personal struggles find resolutions. Upper elementary and middle school readers will relish this story and wait impatiently for the next installment…should there be one!

This story seems to reflect themes and worlds from other books (Chronicles of Narnia to Through the Looking Glass) so I would add this to a list of read-alikes for the genre.  Also, in Hartley’s blog, he drops R.L. Stine’s name in regards to this book:

I can say that the latest draft was given a real boost by a round of notes from no less a writer than R.L. Stine (of Goosebumps, among countless other things) who gave me a few very useful pointers about and said some very nice things about the book, some of which I hope will eventually finish up on its cover! Till then, fingers crossed. I’m excited about this book and want to see it in the hands of readers. (Read it here.)

I definitely see a reflection of a Goosebumps or The Haunting Hour television series in this novel.  Fans of R.L. Stine’s series will certainly love this book.  With a release date in mid-October, I expect this to be a popular Halloween read. By the way, the author has a dedicated website for the book, which is expected to be a series of at least 3 books.  Visit the book’s website here: http://darwenarkwright.com/.  Check out the author’s website: http://www.ajhartley.net/.

Sent: Jack and Annie for the older crowd

Sent (The Missing: Book 2) by Margaret Peterson Haddix; published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York; 2009.

Jonah and his sister Katherine clung desperately to Chip as he fell through time, back to 1483. Chip and Alex, two of history’s missing children, were returning to the time of their birth, back into the lives of the Princes locked in the Tower of London. Jonah’s a missing child too, adopted centuries out of his birth year, and he and his sister have promised to keep Chip (and ultimately Alex) safe. The question is, how can they do that? How can they preserve the original timeline but save their friends? While they are figuring that out, they are getting a first-hand lesson in 15th Century customs, culture and royal intrigue.

I found Sent a completely different kind of book than Found, the first book in The Missing series. A mash-up of fantasy and historical fiction, this book combined my two favorite genres (with a dash of mystery and suspense thrown in as well). As I predicted in my review of Found (http://3amoeba.wordpress.com/?s=the+missing+book+1), this book read like Jack and Annie from Magic Tree House had grown up. For those fans who have also grown up, I’m hopeful that The Missing will provide a long series of stories to sate their appetites.

I savored the historical setting, and appreciated Haddix’s author’s note about the historical research she conducted, especially her reference to the impact of primary documents. Her explanations as to how she filled in the missing pieces is also relevant and provides an opportunity for teaching information literacy and research techniques. I predict the middle schoolers who pick up this book will be more impressed by the fantasy elements and the mystery than the reality of life in 15th Century England. But maybe their curiosity about what really happened to the Princes in the Tower will spur them on to read some nonfiction on the subject. Hmmm, I wonder if Margaret Peterson Haddix is interested in someone to ghostwrite nonfiction companions for this series?! I’d apply for that job in a heartbeat! Hmm, I also think that a wise librarian would collaborate with middle school language arts and social studies teachers to use this book in cross-curricular activities….

Masterpiece of museum fiction

Masterpiece by Elise Broach, illustrated by Kelly Murphy; published by Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company; New York; 2008.

The end pages include maps of the Pompaday’s kitchen; their cupboard, to be exact, with notes of where the relatives live.  Whose relatives live behind a kitchen cupboard?  Marvin, the beetle’s family, that’s whose.  Marvin is a talented beetle—he can swim and he can create works of art.  He discovered his gift for art when creating a birthday gift for a human boy, James.  James lives with his mother, step-father and baby brother.  But his real adventures lie in his friendship with Marvin and their daring adventure to save priceless art stolen from the Met Museum.  Truly, this book is about friendship and valuing small gifts.

The story is beautifully written in language appropriate for upper elementary aged children.  Murphy’s sketches enhance the story.  Including illustrations in this book helps to break up the text for those children starting to read longer chapter books.

Ironically, I read this book after reviewing The Walker museum’s Portrait Detectives website.  I would pair this book with that website and the Met’s website (they have works by Durer and Bellini on their timeline of art history).  In fact, I think I would create a pathfinder that pairs books like this and Chasing Vermeer with art websites and non-fiction print materials.

Ghost story for summer vacation

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn; published by Sandpiper, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, New York; 2007.

Okay, technically this is a ghost story; but there is certainly mystery surrounding Ali’s mom and Aunt Dulcie, as well as their family cabin, Gull Cottage.  At age 13, Ali is trying to be more grown up, but still is child-like.  When Aunt Dulcie asks her to babysit cousin Emma at Gull Cottage, Ali jumps at the chance to be have a little separation from her parents.  What the three of them find at Gull Cottage will focus attention on a mystery from Aunt Dulcie’s childhood.  Only Ali and Emma can solve the mystery and put it to rest.

My daughter recommended that I read this for the mystery because she enjoyed it so much (she is a bedtime-flashlight-reader).  I can understand the attraction in this ghost-story-cum-mystery.  It’s just scary enough to make her heart pump faster without causing nightmares.

I would include this in a list of recommended summer reading for upper elementary aged children—it’s a great book to read by flashlight at camp or on vacation.

Scared straight?!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean; published by Scholastic, New York; 2002.

Gaiman’s tale of a terrifying parallel world reads like my mind works just before awakening after a bad dream—a little surreal, a little real, and vaguely unsettling.  McKean’s images reminded me of Charles Addams’ cartoons—ghoulish and frightening renditions of the real world.  Although this story ends happily—in fact, Coraline does not fear her first day of school after her defeat of the evil other mother—I felt that the gaping absence of care by her parents made this more of a tale for middle schoolers rather than elementary aged children.  I think Coraline was a little too on-her-own for the developmental stage of most upper elementary aged students.

However, I would certainly include this in a display of scary stories for Halloween.  I think it would be well-paired with the movie adaptation too.