The story: First, there's Marrill. Her mom is sick--really sick--and Marrill is completely bummed that the family's adventure-filled life is coming to an end. That is, until a pirate ship pulls up in the parking lot of an Arizona strip mall, and Marrill is sucked into an adventure that's out of this world. Literally. Then there's Fin: the boy that time (and everyone else) forgot. Unless he's standing right in front of you, you won't remember he was ever there-which is great if you're looking to pull off a daring heist, but tough if you're looking for a family. When Fin's and Marrill's strange adventures intersect, they team up to look for a map and a key that will either bring them everything they're dreaming of...or bring the end of the world. Fifty-fifty chance of either.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic and the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (the end of the world as we know it!) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Here's another fun fantasy featuring a boy and girl buddy team working together to get what they want (see also James Riley's "Story Thieves"). I especially enjoyed the authors' clever wordplay, including puns for many of the names that patient kid readers will get and enjoy--for example, Fin's mother writes her name down as "Notah Reelnaym" and his birthplace as Nowareneerheer; the Kraken's "Door Way" is a passage filled with door; even the map is the "Bintheyr Map to Everywhere." Kids will enjoy feeling like they're in on the joke. Booklist lists it for grades 4-7; I agree, since the kids' ages aren't specifically given. Any fantasy fan will like this one!
No comments:
Post a Comment