Middleworld

J & P Voelkel. - Smith & Sons

Rating: 8 (Solid Newbery or Printz honor contender)

Core audience: 10 & up

Notable aspects: memorable characters, unique setting, illustrations, fast paced, suspenseful, kid friendly, Maya words (and pronunciations) incorporated throughout, small publishing house

I wanted to be sure to review this book written by a husband and wife team living here in Norwich. Not knowing quite what to expect from this fantasy novel set in Central America, I tossed it to my ten-year old. He ended up reading it twice—once for fun and a second time for the sheer pleasure of it—so I figured it was worth a shot. What I found was a book that was funny, fast-paced and entirely original. Though there are some elements of The Lightning Thief and Lionboy mixed in with a bit of Indiana Jones, this is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I certainly don’t want to dismiss this as a knock-off in any way.

Jon Voelkel grew up in Central America, and the bits of Maya culture that he weaves are interesting and humorous. Pamela, his wife, handles the dialogue, which is spot-on for a lazy, game-lovin’ teen. And then there is Lord Six Rabbit, his evil brother Tzelek, and the disappearance of Max’s parents into the Underworld. Will a kid who’s only ever seen the jungle in a video game be able to defeat evil and save his parents? When Max meets up with Lola and her monkeys at the beginning of his quest, I found myself wishing for my own primate pet. The setting is like none I’ve ever encountered, and along with Max, I viewed it as new territory to explore.

This is the first of a trilogy, and if the readers here are any judge, there will soon be kids all over awaiting the sequel. A great book for anyone wanting a new fantasy book, and perfect for a birthday present, as the recipient is not likely to have a copy already. Why not pick up a copy for yourself and see?

Beth Reynolds, The Norwich Bookstore, VT

Fall Reviews 2007