Children's Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoThe Sphere of Secrets by Catherine Fisher
Greenwillow Books, March, 2005Hardcover, 384 pages
ISBN: 0060571616
Ages 10 and up
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In the first book in the series,
The Oracle Betrayed, readers met Mirany,
a young woman who helped ensure the boy Alexos was named Archon
(the person who carries the God inside him), after much
trial, tribulation and adventure. Mirany is one of the Nine
Priestesses who care for the Archon, and are held in high regard in
an ancient kingdom that will remind readers of ancient Egypt. But even though the correct
boy has been named Oracle, the corrupt General Argelin and Hermia, the
Speaker-for-the-God, are conspiring to make sure that the God is
silenced so they can gain absolute power for themselves.
The country still suffers from drought, so Alexos sets out on a quest
to the Well of Songs to right a past wrong and make the rains come again.
With Alexos are the scribe Seth, the alcoholic musician Oblek and the mysterious
tomb raider known only as the Jackal. Meanwhile,
Mirany stays in the besieged City and is surrounded by intrigue and danger.
This is the second book in The Oracle Prophecies series, which began with The Oracle Betrayed. Catherine Fisher, the author of Snow-Walker, excels at creating unusual worlds peopled with fascinating characters and a magical atmoshpere. The Two Lands is a mysterious place, filled with danger, excitement, magic and myth. The brisk action shifts back and forth between the questing party and Mirany's adventures in the City, and it is a credit to Ms. Fisher that both stories are equally compelling. Mirany is an especially engaging heroine whom readers will happily follow to her next adventure.
Sleepy ABC by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrations by Esphyr Slobodkina
HarperCollins, 2005Hardcover, 564 pages
ISBN: 0060242841
Ages 3 to 7
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Sleepy ABC is the perfect book for bedtime. Kids will love the
cute and colorful drawings that go perfectly with Margaret
Wise Brown's lyrical writing. The illustrations show animals
and children getting ready for bed. Sleepy, sighing kittens;
lambs closing their eyes, stars in the night sky and a
boy kissing his mother goodnight all project the idea of a
good night's sleep. And if your child can stay up long enough, the
book goes from A to Z, ending with "Z is for Zipper. Now zip into bed, not another
peep. Go to Sleep."
Tiger (Five Ancestors Book 1) by Jeff Stone
Random House, March, 2005Hardcover, 196 pages
ISBN: 0375830715
Ages 9 and up
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
In 17th century China, five orphans have grown up at the
Cangzhen Temple, raised and trained by the Shaolin monks and
the Grandmaster himself. Each of the young boys has exceptional
gifts for their age. Each is already a master of one style of animal
kung fu: that of the tiger, the monkey, the crane, the snake and the dragon.
Tragedy comes to the Temple when a former student Ying, a master of the eagle style of kung fu, has sold out to the Emperor in order to become a wealthy general.
Ying and his army slaughter everyone at the Temple except the five
boys, whom the Grandmaster has made promise to run away. One of the boys,
Yu, named in Cantonese after the tiger, manages to save the
priceless dragon scrolls before he flees the Temple. Hu has many adventures
and learns more about himself and the Grandmaster's cryptic last words about
the boys' origins. Yu, who like a tiger is by turns violent, thoughtful and
playful, eventually meets up with Malao (Monkey) whose adventures will be chronicled
in the next book in this well-written, fast-paced and very entertaining adventure
series.
Children's Book Reviews
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Return to the June 2005 issue of The IWJ.
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