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Children's Book ReviewsBeyond the Deep Woods (The Edge Chronicles: Book 1) by Paul Stewart, Illustrated by Chris RiddellDavid Fickling Books, June, 2004Hardcover, 278 pages ISBN: 0385750684 Ages Young Adult Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
This British bestseller is sure to be a hit with American audiences, as well.
The Edge Chronicles begins with Beyond the Deep Woods and the story
of a human boy named Twig (well, he certainly looks human -- as long as you don't
notice his pointed ears). Twig doesn't fit in with the village of
Woodtrolls with whom he lives, although his mother Spelda loves him dearly.
But if there is one thing the woodtrolls drill into their children,
it is to never, never, never stray off the path when traveling in
the incredibly dangerous deep woods. When sky pirates land nearby,
Twig's mother admits that he was found abandoned as a baby and that
he is adopted. She also tells him that it's time for him to go
visit some distant relatives. Armed with a comfort cloth and a knife, Twig sets out on
a momentous journey to find himself. The mysterious caterbird
tells him that his destiny lies beyond the Deepwoods. Of course,
Twig strays from the path almost immediately (as 13 year-old boys
are wont to do) and trouble immediately ensues.
Unfamiliar with the off-path denizens of the Deepwoods, Twig
finds himself in a new deadly peril every couple of hours or so.
But he does meet a couple of friends along the way, as well.
Beyond the Deepwoods is truly one of the oddest, most inventive and entertaining children's books to come along in quite a while. Bound in an attractive hardcover format, the story is immensely enriched by the wild and wonderful illustrations of Chris Riddell. The dangers that Twig meets are truly terrifying (at least to an adult, anyway) but one does get the sense that Twig will manage to extricate himself from any nasty situation. From the red-faced Slaughterers (very nice people, actually) to the truly awful wig-wigs, the characters in Beyond the Deep Woods are memorable, to say the least. And the moral for children is quite clear: straying from the right path is bound to cause trouble. Don't miss this one. Pendragon: Black Water (Book 5) by D.J. MacHaleAladdin, August, 2004Trade paperback, 320 pages ISBN: 0689869118 Ages Young Adult Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Bobby Pendragon is no ordinary teenager. He is a Traveler,
the representative of New Earth, and can travel to other worlds.
In this fifth adventure, Bobby goes to the jungle planet of Eelong,
a place where the intelligent large cats rule and the humans are
the slaves. When a plague threatens to wipe out Eelong,
Bobby and the Travelers -- his best friends Mark and Courtney and
another Traveler named Book -- dive into danger in order to save
the doomed world from the machinations of the evil St. Dane.
But it soon becomes apparent that St. Dane's triumph over them
on the world of Veelox has caused a change in the rules; for one thing,
only Travelers are supposed to be able to use the flumes, yet
Courtney and Mark can now Travel as well. With the rules changing,
and barriers between worlds dissolving, St. Dane's interference
could mean the end of all of Halla and the the known worlds.
D. J. MacHale knows how to tell a fantastic story that will keep readers of all ages riveted until the very last page. As Bobby grows into maturity, he begins to realize how much responsibility has been placed on his shoulders, and how lucky he is to have friends to help share the burden. MacHale, a veteran of television and film work, knows how to write exciting action scenes and dialogue that rings true. The theme in Black Water is the choices we make when we're on our own, with no one to guide us. Bobby has to decide whether to follow the rules as laid down by his beloved Uncle Press, or break them for a greater good. The author doesn't take the easy way out; challenging moral dilemmas are presented, wrapped up in a rip-roaring adventure on an exotic world. The world of Eelong is a fascinating one where the the young teens get a real change of perspective. But that's all a part of growing up, isn't it? --Claire E. White Stormchaser (The Edge Chronicles: Book 2) by Paul Stewart, Illustrated by Chris RiddellDavid Fickling Books, June, 2004Hardcover, 400 pages ISBN: 0385750706 Ages Young Adult Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
When we last saw Twig in Beyond the Deepwoods, he had
just found out that his father is the sky pirate named
Cloud Wolf and they are joyfully reunited. Twig is
trying to learn the ways of being a sky pirate by
serving aboard his father's skyship called the Stormchaser.
But trouble is never far away from the irrespressible Twig,
and in Undertown danger and intrigue are always close
companions. Twig learns that his father wasn't always an
outlaw. Once he was known as Qunitinius Verginix,
"the finest Knight Academic in a hundred generations."
The Professors of Light and Darkness, who live on the floating city of
Santaphrax, held Qunitinius in high regard. But a betrayal led to
Qunitinius' leaving the sacred city to become a pirate. Now, the
corruption in Santaphrax has placed that city and
Undertown in grave peril. Cloud Wolf must undertake a dangerous
mission to find the valuable Stormphrax which keeps the city
from floating away and purifies the water of Undertown. But
intrigue and treachery are afoot and the mission is in grave peril.
Twig has grown up a bit from the first book in the series, but his judgment still leaves much to be desired. The addition of the sky pirates and the floating city of Santaphrax add another layer of complexity and interest to this very entertaining story. It appears that this will be a multi-volume series, and that Twig will feature in at least one more tale. And that's good news for readers. Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of children's books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |