By Piranha T.

The place is Boston, in what is now called New Occident. The year is 1891.

The world has changed. Nearly a hundred years ago, an event known only as the Great Disruption cracked the world apart into many known and unknown Ages, from the distant past to the far-flung future. Old maps can no longer depict the world as it is, so new ones are made with different and mysterious materials, using what can only be seen as magic. Cartographers and explorers provide contact between places once connected in other ways, but now eschewed by the void of time.

Sophia Tims’s parents, two skilled explorers, disappeared on a voyage many years ago, so she’s been raised by her uncle Shadrack Elli, one of Boston’s most famous cartographers. She’s always wanted to eventually follow them, but never known if she can; Sophia, to her chagrin, has no internal clock, and easily loses track of minutes or hours, believing only seconds to have passed. Despite these things, her life is peaceful—until Shadrack is kidnapped, and Sophia leaves home with only a mysterious glass map to guide her.

She finds unexpected allies: Theo, a boy from a foreign age; a pair of flamboyant pirates; a botanist with little common sense. But as she is perused from age to age, she discovers the true motives of her enemies—and the secrets of the map she carries, secrets which may be much more dangerous than they seem…

Full of adventure and tension, The Glass Sentence was one of those books which I picked up with no expectations and couldn’t put down. What immediately struck me about this book was the worldbuilding, which I think would appeal to fans of The Golden Compass and Ink, Iron and Glass. Our world, fractured by the Great Disruption, made this an even more interesting read, intriguing me as I learned more and more about this alternate universe. But the layers of The Glass Sentence goes far beyond its setting. The plot was brilliant and unusual, and there was more than one point where it completely surprised me. And the characters—from Sophia and Theo to the brilliantly fascinating villain—were also spectacular. Overall, I highly recommend The Glass Sentence to fantasy fans ages eleven and up. 

By Piranha T.
 
The Florida town of Sabal Palms is known for few things. Mostly, it’s famous for being home to the rich DiSanti family, who made their fortune from oranges, and the Floras, an uptight club dedicated to helping the community.

Lane DiSanti isn’t interested in the Floras or her family, after being sent to her Florida grandmother while her parents file for a divorce. But she doesn’t want to spend the summer with only the peacocks near her house for company, either.

Ofelia Castillo’s school friends are all gone on vacations, and so she’s left with the prospect of going with her mom to work at the opulent DiSanti mansion. Only one thing keeps her going: a journalism contest which she’s determined to win—if she can just get her overprotective parents to sign the permission form.

Aster Douglas has always been homeschooled by her grandfather; she enjoys baking and frequent trips to the library. But this coming fall, she’ll go to public school for the first time, and she’s certain that she’ll be the only kid in the seventh grade who doesn’t have any friends.

Cat Garcia might belong to the Floras, but she wants no part in the organization; she’d much rather birdwatch and research the Migratory Bird Treaty Act than sell cookies to her neighbors. After she unofficially ditches the Floras, she has to find a way to keep her parents from knowing—and to get rid of the Floras hat, a symbol of the club which is adorned with feathers of endangered species.

When these four outsiders are brought together in an unused treehouse, they form a fast friendship over apricot ladyfingers, the correct terms for peafowl, and superstitions about minerals. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat may not appear to have much in common, but when they begin a shared mission which they’re determined to complete, these four strange birds might just have found a place where they belong.

​Strange Birds: A Field Guide to Ruffling Feathers was well-written, engaging, and hilarious. Lane, Ofelia, Aster and Cat, all of whom narrated chapters, were all excellent and distinct. At first, it was a little hard to keep track of them, but it became clear before long. This book felt very authentic, even surrounding the harder parts of each character’s life, which I appreciated. I especially loved the themes of bird protection and civil disobedience; although you can read this seeing those deeper meanings, it’s also good for those who just want a lighthearted, fast-paced novel about summer and friendship. I highly recommend Strange Birds to readers ages ten and up. 

Check out our new nonfiction review of Rad American History A-Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl, an engaging exploration of some little-known moments in history! 

By Piranha T.

Oliver Nelson loves to read. Books are quite frequently his only escape from his life, where he’s learned from years of terrible mistakes and miserable misfortunes that things can always get worse. But books are also the reason for his darkest secret: he steals them. Not many, of course, and just from his local library when they are musty, ripped, or even incomplete, like his favorite tome, The Timekeeper’s Children. Still, Oliver lives in fear that someone will learn he’s a thief.

And indeed, this fear seems to be realized when the Pribbles summon him to their mansion. The Pribbles—extraordinarily rich inventors, philan-thropists, and collectors of fine children’s books. What could they possibly want with Oliver except to sell him out for his crimes?

But instead of revealing Oliver’s thieving tendencies, the Pribbles are determined to steal The Timekeeper’s Children--from Oliver’s mind. Using their latest invention, they send him into the world formed from his memories of the original, and instruct him to follow the story. Chapter by chapter, they intend to take it from his thoughts, thereby securing the last copy of this rarest of children’s books.

Now Oliver must partner with the timekeeper’s children from the title, Cora and Jack, to complete their quest and save their land from the grip of an evil sorcerer. They’ll encounter hungry eels, angry warriors, and even the Nasty Rodent Eater (nice to meet you) on the way—as well as a strange, shadowy figure who Oliver definitely does not remember from the original text.

But even if Cora and Jack succeed, can Oliver find a way to keep this story? Or will the Pribbles steal it from him forever?

The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children’s Books is a hilarious, fast-paced, and wonderfully weird story. This book is so fantastically quirky and witty, particularly the writing and plot, that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it; both Oliver’s home and the book’s world of Dulum come alive with all manner of peculiar people and places, including the aforementioned Nasty Rodent Eater, who is definitely my favorite character. Adam Perry takes familiar story elements and makes fun of them so successfully that he creates a story I’ve never read anything quite like before. For this reason, I think this book would particularly appeal to young writers. I highly recommend The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children’s Books to readers ages eleven and up who like stories which take a new spin on books, reading, and fantasy adventures.