Stanley Kiesel

The War Between the Pitiful Teachers and the Splendid Kids
by Stanley Kiesel
Recommended Age: 12+

I found this book in the Young Readers section of the County Library. If you look there, you might find it too. Written by a Minneapolis-based teacher and poet, it's a sensitive portrait of misfit kids struggling against a school system that doesn't understand them, combined with a whacked-out, comical, outrageous adventure, topped with dollops of creepiness and strangeness. It's like what you might get if Jerry Spinelli and Daniel Pinkwater collaborated on a book. Or maybe not. It's just, er, different.

And it's also a bit uneven. There are times when I wished the author had zoomed in a little more and didn't let the story lurch forward in such huge leaps. But sometimes the quick pace worked well, and the glossed-over parts bridged the gaps between important scenes where the details & dialogue sometimes approached the level of poetry. Actually--in a passage that I believe is intentionally ironic--the main character produces some real poetry, which his stupid teacher considers worthless because it doesn't have correct punctuation and grammar.

The main character is a student named Skinny Malinky, and he leads the war in the title. At first it's just a war fought with pranks in a classroom, but it escalates into a real war--fought, at first, in a medieval tournament, then with a horrible weapon called the Status Quo Solidifier, and finally won in a desperate maneuver by a tribe of Bookworms who hide in the sewers to read.

Skinny is also aided by a girl named Big Alice Eyesore, who was raised by hyenas; a wise janitor named Ida; and a couple of eccentric old teachers named Dumpy and Bumpy. But are they a match against the evil schemes of Mr. Foreclosure, the chairman of the board? What board, you ask, is he chairman of? What board, I ask, isn't he chairman of? That kind of bad guy. Trust me, your mental picture of Mr. Foreclosure at this point is totally wrong (unless you've read this book). And while he is the worst of what Skinny Malinky has to fight against, he isn't the weirdest. The teachers Skinny encounters are so awful that you'll appreciate (some of) the teachers in your real school...and what Skinny and his friends do to them is pure, sweet revenge.

If you find this book, be warned: it's even weirder than this poor review can get across. But don't be afraid of the weirdness. Enjoy it!

P. B. Kerr

My review of the third book in this Children of the Lamp series was just posted on MuggleNet this morning. Excellent timing!

The Akhenaten Adventure
by P. B. Kerr
Recommended Age: 12+

Philippa and John Gaunt are not your ordinary, twelve-year-old twins. For one thing, they are totally different from each other: John is tall and dark and a magnet for trouble; Philippa is short and red-headed, with glasses and a cool, analytical mind. Nevertheless, they are so close to each other that they can almost read each other’s minds.

Besides that, they are also a couple of the richest kids in New York City, with an investment banker father and a glamorous, charity-ball-giving mother. They have two incredibly intelligent dogs, named Alan and Neil. They are extremely fit, but also claustrophobic. And already at age twelve, they need to have their wisdom teeth removed.

Only after this operation do they start to learn exactly how different they are. It starts when the cleaning lady wishes, in Philippa’s hearing, that she would win the lottery. Philippa feels power going out of her...and the next day, the cleaning lady wins $33 million! Other odd things happen, but it isn’t until the twins go to spend the summer with their Uncle Nimrod (their mother’s estranged brother) that they learn who they really are: Djinn.

I will leave it to the book to explain to you what Djinn are, where they come from, and what their powers are. Let it be enough to say that they are creatures of fire who can grant wishes, and who control the good and bad luck of the whole world. There are six tribes of Djinn – three of them good, and three of them evil. And if the balance of luck in the world (i.e., the power of the good and bad tribes) swings too far toward the bad, it could mean disaster for all mankind. This is what Nimrod, John, and Philippa must stop in their first adventure together, which takes them to the dust and heat of Egypt, a race against evil Djinn to find artifacts from a long-lost tomb, a feud against a leading villain named Iblis, and finally, a confrontation with one of the evilest spirits known to Djinnkind.

It is a story filled with amazing imagery, historical detail, fascinating background lore, high adventure, and quirky humor. The heroes are good-natured, all-American kids who, at the same time, become increasingly engaged in ancient mysteries, weird happenings, deadly dangers, and clever plots. There is a one-armed butler with a mouth full of complaints and a heart of gold; an elderly Djinn who looks like a holy man from India, but who talks with an Irish accent; and other equally wacky and wonderful characters and situations.

An “occult content advisory” should go out, however. The Djinn lore in this book (based on the classic “Arabian Nights” stories) involves a unique variant of Judeo-Christian and Muslim cosmology, which includes angels, demons, and humans as well as good and bad Djinn, and the possibility of any one of these enslaving the others. This brings the world of Children of the Lamp much closer to the classic definition of “magic” than the Harry Potter series. While, in my opinion, this book is no more than a fantasy (like an Arabian Nights tale translated into modern times), parents should make their own judgment about whether these themes are appropriate for their children.

The author of this book is known as Philip Kerr to the readers of his adult fiction. Kerr wrote this young-readers’ fantasy for, and with the help of, his own kids. He reportedly wanted to encourage them to spend more time reading. To judge by how much fun it is to read this book, I would bet that he succeeded. For a second Children of the Lamp adventure, uncork The Blue Djinn of Babylon.

The Blue Djinn of Babylon
by P.B. Kerr
Recommended Age: 12+

John and Philippa Gaunt are not just a couple of filthy-rich, twelve-year-old twins. They are also Djinn -- beings who can live hundreds of years, who are made of a “subtle kind of fire,” and who have power to grant wishes and to effect the luck of the world. Like Harry Potter, they can do amazing things. Unlike Harry, each of them only needs to remember one magic word (Philippa’s focus word is particularly addictive: FABULONGOSHOOMARVELISHLYWONDERPIPICAL! Can you say that five times fast?)

Unlike her brother, Philippa takes an interest in a Djinn dice game called Djinnverso. (The book actually contains rules for the game, which might rescue eight-sided dice from being eternally associated with Dungeons and Dragons.) Philippa joins in a big Djinnverso tournament, but when she is framed for cheating, her promising career as a Djinnverso player is cut cruelly short. She hopes to redeem herself by recovering a valuable book that was stolen from the Blue Djinn of Babylon – the hard-hearted, female judge who arbitrates disputes between good and evil Djinn, by virtue of being “beyond good and evil.” But this escapade turns out to be a trap. The Blue Djinn herself was behind it, with her plans to install Philippa as her successor in a terrible underground palace whose very air is slowly sucking the goodness out of Philippa’s character.

No one has a chance of saving Philippa from this fate – no one except John. Because he is her twin, John might be able to sneak past the Blue Djinn’s defenses. But for him, this means a long and dangerous journey across the lawless desert of Iraq, through a series of ancient and nerve-shattering challenges, and into the clutches of not one, but two horrible monsters who haunt the underground world where the Blue Djinn holds court. Can John save his sister before she forgets who she is? Ooooh, wouldn’t you like to know?

Once again, I owe it to the vigilant parents out there to issue an “occult content advisory.” The Djinn magic in this series involves some spiritual forces. Angels and demons may come into play. Explanations of Djinn lore, drawn apparently from the Arabian Nights, includes distorted versions of stories from the Judeo-Christian and Muslim traditions. (For example, King Solomon is depicted as a sorcerer who wrote a Grimoire explaining how to bind Djinn.) Also, the book takes liberties with historical and biblical characters; for example, it claims that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered King Solomon, though in fact they lived several centuries apart. And finally, the concept of a character existing “beyond good and evil” may be very disturbing or perplexing to many people’s religious views. Parents, I advise you to take the time to read this book and decide for yourself whether it is harmless fantasy, or something inappropriate for your kids.

This is P. B. Kerr’s second novel for children, though adult novelist Philip Kerr (of the Berlin Noir trilogy, etc.) is the same person. I, for one, have enjoyed this series, and I am interested in seeing what happens next to the Gaunt twins.

The Cobra King of Kathmandu
by P.B. Kerr
Recommended Age: Age: 12+

By one of those funny coincidences that frequently befall readers of YA fantasy series, I put my hands on this third book in The Children of the Lamp series at the same time as The Hour of the Cobra, the second book in an equally fun time-travel series. So it happened that I read two "cobra" books in a row, and lived to tell the tale.

If you have followed The Children of the Lamp so far, you already know that John and Philippa Gaunt are twins from New York City. Being twins is the least unusual thing about them. They are brighter than average, physically fitter than average, and they had their wisdom teeth out at a very early age. This last item is a "red flag" for those who know about such things. For the Gaunt children also happen to be Djinn.

Yes, Djinn. You know, genies. Spirits of fire. Members of a tribe of good djinn that bring good luck to human beings, at last to balance the bad luck brought by their evil cousins.

But they are also, you know, kids. So they do stupid things now and then. They don't always get along like mature adults should. And they don't have the full power of grown-up Djinn, especially in cold weather. All these facts lead them into big trouble when a desperate friend - if the word "friend" can really describe someone as ambivalent as Dybbuk Sachertorte - calls on the twins for help. A tiny little theft that no one really noticed - just a piece of art tucked away in a U.S. military museum - has turned into a price on Dybbuk's head. Now his accomplices are dead and a group of killers armed with deadly cobras are after him and a picture he doesn't even understand.

The Gaunt twins agree to help Dybbuk get to the bottom of all this. First, with the aid of a friendly angel, they cover up their absence at home. Then they travel by whirlwind to England, hoping to meet up with their resourceful Uncle Nimrod. Instead, they find out that Nimrod and his friend, elderly Djinn Mr. Rakshasas, have gone abroad on unspecified business. The children follow a trail of clues leading to a monastery in northern India, where a bizarre sect funds its operations by giving deliberately bad advice to computer users who call for technical support.

The treasure they seek must not fall into the wrong hands...but the children, along with their uncle's butler Groanin, hardly expect to fall into the wrong hands themselves. This they do, however - in spite of some really cool disguises. The seemingly friendly loonies of the religious sect turn out to be, after all, a fiendish cult that holds incredible dangers for Djinnkind, and for the children, Uncle Nimrod, and Mr. Rakshasas especially. But even if they survive this peril, they can hardly be prepared for the shock that awaits them at home.

Fans of Harry Potter should run to pick up this brilliant new series, which continues now into a fourth book: Day of the Djinn Warriors. With its fascinating alternative to the magic of witches and wizards, the good-natured appeal of its main characters, the mystery and menace surrounding some of their kind, and its all-around rollicking good fun, it is just the thing to burn away the post-Deathly Hallows blues.

EDIT: I can't believe I just noticed that the titles in this series are coming out in ABC order. Does that mean there could be up to 26 installments? Dude!

Foreign Confections

In the past few months, I have made a couple stops at the World Market in Chesterfield, MO. Each time I have come away with some new treats, some of which I had only read about before. I confirmed that Maltesers are very similar to the U.S. candy known as Whoppers. I enjoyed gummi candy that looks and tastes like raspberries (red and black ones mixed together in one bag). I sucked hard candies with such interesting flavors as "rhubarb custard" (a flavor that Ted Drewes should try!), and "yogurt scotch" (which reminds me of a flavor of Life Savers that used to defy description). I crunched Japanese rice crackers wrapped in seaweed (not bad at all, actually). I chewed gummi candies flavored with a fruit called litchi that is evidently quite popular in southeast Asia, but virtually unknown here (the flavor was definitely weird, but not unpleasant). I gobbled up Cadbury's idea of Turkish delight (a gummy, red, fruit-flavored gel covered in milk chocolate), honeycomb (a crisp, burnt-buttery toffee shot through with air-bubbles and coated with chocolate), and other oddities. I even sent my Dad a Christmas present of hard-to-find (in the U.S.) flavors of Altoids: "curiously strong" licorice and ginger mints, which I had previously seen only once before, in a hole-in-the-wall gas station in the middle of a lonely Arizona desert.

But this morning I chased down my breakfast with something I picked up at World Market yesterday - something I have always hesitated to ask for in public - spotted dick.

It came in a can with several different ways of preparing it printed on the label. One way involves boiling the spotted dick, can and all, in a large saucepan (important: don't let the water boil dry!). But being a bachelor and not in the mood to risk burns and property damage, I went the microwave route. The result was surprising. I had always imagined spotted dick would be a damp, flabby, bland substance, like the bread pudding at Old Country Buffet. Instead it was simply a nice, spongy cake (quite dry), filled with plump, moist raisins, and liberally spiced with mace, ginger, and I know not what else. The flavor was quite interesting, the texture was far from revolting, and the shape (similar to the squat can it came out of) refused to entertain comparisons to parts of the anatomy that embarrassingly come to an American's mind when this particular pudding is offered.

See this page to look for a World Market location near you. They have locations throughout the continental US, except in the northeast and in half a dozen or so other states. I encourage you to visit one of them when you have an opportunity. You might be surprised to find something you enjoyed as a child but have never been able to find as an adult...something you read about in a book but thought was an invention of the author's...Heinz varieties that can only be sold on our soil as imports from abroad...and ingredients of meals you enjoy in foreign restaurants, but can never find at your local Kroger affiliate.

Carol Kendall

The Gammage Cup
by Carol Kendall
Recommended Age: 10+

This “novel of the Minnipins” is an unusual but very enjoyable story. It is partly a social satire, set in an idyllic country ruled by a sort of traditional “wisdom” that, by its rigid changelessness, has become foolish. And it is partly a fantasy-adventure yarn in which five free-thinkers come to the rescue of the society that has cast them out.

Central to the story is a plump, tender-hearted, common-sense young woman named—brace yourselves, Potter fans—Muggles. I kid you not. At first reluctantly, then wholeheartedly, Muggles throws her lot in with the oddballs of the village of Slipper-on-the-Water in the land of the Minnipins. Most villages can learn to put up with a few local eccentrics. But this village is ruled by the “Periods,” descendants of a revered historical figure who want everyone to wear the same color and to paint their front doors the same shade of green.

The Periods, so named because they have names like “Etc.” and “Ltd.,” want their village to be judged the best in the isolated Land Between the Mountains in which the Minnipins have lived for 880 peaceful years. They want to win the prize of having the Gammage Cup enshrined in their town museum. And the Periods think that people like Curly Green (who paints her front door bright scarlet) and Walter the Earl (who is always digging for buried treasure and questioning the official version of Minnipin history) will surely cause the village to lose the cup. So Walter, Curly, and the mischievous rhymer and scribbler named Gummy are resented and shunned off the bat. When Muggles, along with Mingy the Moneykeeper, share Walter the Earl’s concern that the Minnipins’ ancient enemies are preparing to invade the land, the Periods have had enough. All five of them, branded as disturbers of the peace, are banished from the village.

The five outlaws start to build a new life for themselves down the river at Gummy’s country house. And Muggles discovers unexpected leadership qualities within herself, out of range of the intimidating power of the Periods. But the idyll of their fresh start is darkened by the growing menace of the Mushrooms, a.k.a. Hairless Ones, who have found a way through the sheltering mountains that surround the Minnipins’ peaceful valley. What can five people, whom no one in their home village will listen to, save the land that they love? The answer lies, in part, in the “secret of the swords,” and again, in part, in the brightness and valor hidden in the heart of even the silliest and meanest Minnipin neighbor. But before the tale is told, five outcasts will be heroes, two matches will be made, and a triumphant army will arise from timid villagers and long-buried armor.

The Gammage Cup is full of wit, song, natural beauty, thought-provoking ideas, and excitement. The characters are interesting, the setting is unique and detailed, the unexpected is always just around the corner, and the irony is sometimes very biting. A lot of what makes the Minnipins so special is their ignorance of the outside world, so that what little knowledge they have of it is deliciously skewed. Take, for instance, my favorite bit in which three Minnipins each take a stab at literary criticism of the revered but mysterious poem, “Mary had a little lamb.” The maxims of Muggles are also a joy to ponder, such as, “When something happens, something else always happens.”

This 1960 Newbery Honor Book has a sequel called The Whisper of Glocken, which I ordered as soon as I finished reading this book!

The Whisper of Glocken
by Carol Kendall
Recommended Age: 10+

This sequel to the delightful Newbery Honor Book The Gammage Cup features a new group of unlikely heroes from the Minnipins, river folk who dwell in a sheltered, isolated valley, for whom the outside world is such a distant memory that it has passed from history to legend.

Only five years have passed since the five heroes of Slipper-on-the-Water conquered the invading Mushrooms, and already they are held in awe by Glocken, the young carillon-player of the village of Water Gap. Only he soon learns that heroes are only ordinary people who do what has to be done. Glocken reluctantly becomes one of five New Heroes, sent out of the Land Between the Mountains to find out what is causing the river to flood. The way of life of everyone in the valley depends on them: the bell-ringing dreamer, the stubborn custodian of the village’s ancient treasures, the smelly presser of oil fish, the pretty young slip of a girl, and the weird loner who lives across the river from the village.

Armed with little more than magical swords that become “bright when the cause is right,” these five traverse a desert full of deadly perils, befriend a tribe of strange creatures, and confront a race of giants whose well-meaning meddling threatens the lives and livelihood of everyone they love. They discover the eerie truth behind the silly “pretend tales” passed down through generations of Glocken’s family, and they prove that size, strength, and superior technology can be beaten by goodness and determination. With the help of a little magic, at least...

I think you would be delighted by this book, so full of brilliant imagery, poetic language, haunting dangers, and memorable characters. It is as good now as it was in 1965. I’ll even give you a taster...

He would just rest here while he waited for the next thing to happen. No hurry about opening his eyes to see where he was. If he was dead, he wouldn’t be able to open them anyway; and if he was alive, he didn’t feel up to facing whatever had to be faced just now. After a while it occurred to him that he had no business being dead. You couldn’t just selfishly go off dead, leaving your friends to their fate, and still feel easy in your mind.

UPDATE: Carol Kendall has also written several other children's books, including The Firelings (apparently another Minnipins book), The Wedding of the Rat Family, and Other Side of the Tunnel.

Eric P. Kelly

The Trumpeter of Krakow
by Eric P. Kelly
Recommended Age: 10+

The winner of the 1929 Newbery Medal is an action-packed historical novel set in 15th-century Poland. But its historical roots go even deeper.

It begins with something that actually happened in the 13th century. As the Tartars invaded and pillaged the medieval city of Krakow, and most citizens took refuge behind the castle walls, one brave young man stayed at his post in the tower of the Church of Our Lady Mary. He had sworn to sound the hymn tune Heynal on a trumpet every hour on the hour. Even while Tartar archers waited at the base of the tower with their arrows pointed upward, the lad did his duty. Until an arrow pierced his chest, cutting off the Heynal tune in mid-note.

For centuries since then, the citizens of Krakow have been inspired by this story of courage and duty. The story is kept alive by the tradition of blowing that trumpet tune every hour, but leaving it unfinished, ending with a "broken note." So it is in the year 1461, when Joseph and his parents arrive on a cart, fleeing from the ruin of their Ukrainian farm.

Joseph's father is heir to a line of men entrusted with a beautiful, legendary, and much-sought-after treasure: the Great Crystal of Tarnov. It is believed to have magical powers, and it is certainly priceless. So much blood has been shed over it already, and now a band of ruffians - evidently in the pay of someone very powerful - has destroyed their home looking for it. So Joseph's father comes to Krakow to discharge himself of his duty: to protect the Crystal until it is in the hands of the King.

But troubles follow Joseph's family to Krakow, even after they change their name and take up lodging downstairs from an alchemist, even after Joseph and his father join the corps of trumpeters playing the hourly "broken note" from the church tower. A brutal and resourceful criminal, known (among other things) as Bogdan the Terrible, is pursuing the Crystal relentlessly. An alchemy student, who dabbles in the dark arts, is exerting ominous influences over the upstairs neighbor. Betrayal, burglary, hostage-taking, and finally a city-consuming fire become part of the drama. And of course Joseph plays his heroic part, in keeping with the tradition of the trumpeter of Krakow.

Told in a very individual writing style that may strike today's young readers as just a little wordy and old-fashioned, this is a clever romantic adventure steeped in the author's love for Poland and its traditions. Unlike some adventure stories, it doesn't have the obvious hero (Joseph) rising to unbelievable heights of heroism, but as historical fiction it is very respectful of historical reality.

With a good deal of dabbling in alchemy and hypnotism, it may delight fans of Nicolas Flamel and the philosopher's stone (sound familiar to anyone?), and the ending brings to mind The Lord of the Rings. But it is really a striking and distinctive story of its own, which threatens to teach you a lot about life in Medieval Eastern Europe and maybe make you want to learn more.

M. M. Kaye

The Ordinary Princess
by M. M. Kaye
Recommended Age: 10+

Have you ever noticed that in fairy tales, the princess is almost always blonde, blue-eyed, porcelain-doll pretty, and loaded with demure feminine accomplishments like embroidery and music? Has this pattern started to get a bit dull? Well, look no further than the present book, written and illustrated by an accomplished author/illustrator who thought the same thing.

Dug out of a drawer and published years after it was written, it is a fairy tale with all the classic elements – a youngest-of-seven-princesses who steals away from home, disguises herself as a peasant girl, gets a job as a kitchen maid in a king’s castle, befriends little animals, and wins the young king’s heart. But it has just this one twist: the Princess Amy is ordinary. Cheerful, brave, healthy, and graceful to be sure, but quite ordinary!

Thanks to a crusty fairy’s christening curse (or is it a gift?), Amy has freckles, a snub nose, mousy hair, and a distressing tendency to prefer climbing trees to wearing brocaded gowns. She has seen all her older sisters married off, and now her royal parents are starting to worry about what to do with her. Shall they lock Amy in a tower and hire a dragon to lay waste to the countryside, until a suitable prince comes along to slay the dragon and win her hand in marriage? Not if Amy has anything to say about it.

And say something she does: “Goodbye.” Dressed as a commoner, Amy goes out to escape from the fairy tale in which she has no hope of living up to her role. But instead of escaping the fairy tale, she finds the place where she fits in it: a charming, cheering friendship that blossoms into romance; frolics in the woods with a pet squirrel and a pet crow; and a nursery rhyme that you know is a prophecy, even before the young lovers find out.

EDIT: Anglo-Indian writer M. M. Kaye (1908-2004) is best known for her historical romance novel (later a TV series and a London musical) titled The Far Pavilions, and for other adult novels of mystery and suspense. She also wrote several children's books, often under the name Mollie Kaye, most of them illustrated by one Margaret Tempest; plus, she illustrated many children's books by other authors. The only other children's book that she wrote and illustrated herself was titled Thistledown. Finally, The Ordinary Princess was also turned into a TV series by the BBC.

Elizabeth Kay

The Divide
by Elizabeth Kay
Recommended Age: 11+

Felix Sanders is – well, face it. He’s dying. He could go at any time. But he doesn’t want to go without seeing a bit of the world, so his parents take him to Costa Rica. And there, at the top of the divide between the Atlantic and Pacific watershed, they lose him.

This is, of course, sad for Felix’s parents, but not so bad for Felix – who finds himself not in the afterlife, but in a turned-around world where science is the stuff of fairy tales, and magic rules everyday life. Felix himself is a mythical creature, along with all the zoo animals and livestock of our world; the world beyond the divide is populated by elves, pixies, brownies, dragons, griffins, and unicorns – only by other names, such as tanglefolk, japegrins, and brazzles.

Even in this colorful, magic-filled world, there does not seem to be a cure for Felix’s terminal heart condition. But on the slim chance that they might find one in the writings of a long-dead brazzle, Felix and his new friends – the tangle-girl Betony and the mathematical brazzle Ironclaw – set out for the royal library in the faraway city of Andria. Along the way, they are menaced by shadow beasts, caught up in a complex web of sinister plots, and targeted by the slimiest villain in the land: Snakeweed.

Soon, Felix takes on a hero’s role in an adventure that involves prejudice, unethical drug testing, freedom of the press, an innocent man accused of murder, organized crime, shape-changing assassins, free will, marital conflict, advertising, and a dancing contest. Felix tries to keep a good attitude about all this, but it’s cruel how every time he begins to accept that he must die, an elusive hope is held up again.

Will his last hope come through before time runs out? Will his parents see him again? And when they do get him back, will they only have to lose him all over again? These are the questions that Felix faces. It takes a courageous boy to face them. And the answers lie at the end of a complex, magical adventure.

Back to the Divide
by Elizabeth Kay
Recommended Age: 11+

In this sequel to The Divide, Felix’s parents are thrilled to have him back, alive and well, after his disappearance in Costa Rica when he was supposed to be dying of a heart condition that had mysteriously disappeared when he reappeared. They believe that Felix wandered off the path they were hiking, lost himself in the jungle, and then lost his memory of what had happened to him when he found himself again.

What really happened is that Felix traveled to another world, where science is the stuff of fantasy, and where magic is part of real life. After achieving adventure and fame as a mythical being in a world full of elf-like tanglefolk, pixyish japegrins, and griffinesque brazzles, Felix was magically cured and sent back across the interdimensional “Divide” to where he belonged. Only, someone else made it across as well – an evil japegrin named Snakeweed.

A year later, Snakeweed is ready to go back to his own world, armed with scientific knowledge that will completely change his world...and put him in a position to rule it. Snakeweed attacks Felix’s parents, turning them into stone, and forces Felix to give him the spell to get back across the Divide. Felix pursues him, hoping to stop Snakeweed from destroying the magical world with environment-unfriendly science, and hunting for a cure to the marble spell that could spread from his parents to endanger the whole world.

Once again, Felix meets up with his friends Betony, Ironclaw, and others. They get involved in a complicated adventure full of criss-crossing plot lines. It involves a journey across a vast desert, to speak with a ravenous, riddle-obsessed sphinx. They cross paths with a magic carpet, a djinn, some vampire bat thingies, and other nasties, while Snakeweed and his evil minions seize control of the government, the press, and the library. Mathematical puzzles, political maneuvers, battles, narrow escapes, tragedies, a robbery and a kidnapping happen while a bouncing baby brazzle is born, a servile henchman grasps free will, and a traffic violation results in a death sentence for Felix and Betony...

Don’t worry. The trilogy continues with Jinx on the Divide.

Jinx on the Divide
by Elizabeth Kay
Recommended Age: 11+

The third book in The Divide trilogy begins with the Christmas present Felix has been waiting for: a visit from his best friend from the magical world across the Divide, the tangle-girl Betony. Things don’t go as planned, however. A forgotten brass lamp finds its way into Felix’s school bag, and before he knows it, a genie (or rather, brandee) has escaped, taken the school bully hostage, and demanded to be taken to a scientist to be freed from enslavement to the lamp.

Desperate to resolve the situation without bringing magic into the world of science, Felix and Betony rush back across the Divide. Things on that side quickly deteriorate, however. Inside the genie’s lamp, flame-haired bully Stephen “Rhino” Rheinhart opens a mischievous jinx box. Maybe “wicked” would be a better word to describe it. The jinx box wants Rhino or Felix – or really, any “mythical being” from the point of view of Betony’s world – to speak a number of power-words aloud. Each word causes something big to happen – something that could potentially destroy everything.

Not saying those power-words isn’t as simple as you might think. The jinx box will do anything within its considerable powers to trick, or force, Felix and Rhino into doing its bidding – and destroying it won’t be easy. Then there’s the recipe for gunpowder, which Rhino foolishly tries to sell to the japegrins; the consequences of unleashing that “science” in their world of magic would be unthinkable.

Meanwhile other plots are afoot. Snakeweed has returned from what was supposed to be a hundred-year slumber. A slave of the lamp who just wants to be free is instead given an override-proof command to execute Rhino. Encounters with deadly wolf-like creatures, wild dragons, interracial issues, and beings released from spells that had turned them to stone create chaos and confusion in the midst of a race against time. And on top of everything, Felix is having feelings toward Betony...including the monster of jealousy. And that’s a feeling that could complicate his decision-making at the climax of the story.

The series definitely comes to an end in this story – a surprisingly satisfying ending, given all the suspense and dread that leads up to it. So ends a quirky, multi-layered fantasy series, which will be remembered at the very least for its unusual cover design – though whether that helps or hinders the book, I will let you decide.