The Looking Glass Wars

Author: Frank Beddor

Publication: London: Egmont

Pub. Date: 2004

ISBN: 1405216476

Pages: 375

Summary: In this retelling of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, Alyss Hart is the princess of Wonderland. After her evil Aunt Redd storms the palace and kills Alyss' parents, the princess is forced to flee and winds up in 19th century London. No one believes her when she tells them who she is, and eventually she begins to doubt herself. Years later she returns to Wonderland, but her powers of imagination are severely depleted, and she is no longer sure that she can defeat her Aunt and win back her throne. With the help of some loyal subjects though, she leads her troops into battle and the Looking Glass Wars begin.

Major Characters: Alyss Hart, Aunt Redd, Dodge (Alyss' friend), Hatter Madigan (captain of the secret service)

Comments: Beddor has taken the Alice in Wonderland stories and turned them on their heads by challenging all the conventions and completely reinventing the characters. This is not the Disney version of the story. It is a very violent book and deals with some deep issues such as revenge, urban decay, and the power of imagination and creativity. At the same time, it is a fun book to read that is filled with adventure, so you do not feel like you are reading something really heavy. I loved the originality of the story, and the new roles that Beddor created for familiar characters such as the Cheshire Cat, the Madd Hatter, and Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee. Highly recommended.

Genre: Fantasy / Revised fairy tale

Age Level: 14+

Rating: 5/5

Airborn

Author: Kenneth Oppel CAN

Publication: Toronto: HarperCollins

Pub. Date: 2004

ISBN: 0006392598

Pages: 321

Summary: Matt Cruse is a crew member on board the Aurora, a world-travelling airship, when he rescues the pilot of an air balloon who had been attacked. Before the pilot dies, he tells Matt about the stange beasts he saw flying in the sky. A year later his granddaughter, Kate deVries, books a passage on the Aurora, determined to prove that her granfather was telling the truth. Matt is taken by her spirit and together they get mixed up in several adventures. When the Aurora is boarded by pirates, it takes all of their ingeniuty and courage to fight off the pirates and prevent the airship from being detroyed.

Major Characters: Matt Cruse, Kate deVries, Capt. Walken (of the Aurora), Szpirglas (the pirate captain)

Comments: This book was so hyped when it was released that I was afraid to read it for fear that it would not live up to expectations. I needn't have worried. This fast-paced adventure has something for everyone, including daring heroics, humour, and even a little romance. An enjoyable read for both boys and girls, this book is certainly deserving of the Governor-General's Award that it won.

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Age Level: 13+

Rating: 5/5

Peter and the Starcatchers

Authors: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Publication: New York: Hyperion Books for Children

Pub. Date: 2004

Illustrator: Greg Call

ISBN: 0786854456

Pages: 451

Summary: In this "prequel" to J.M. Barrie's Adventures of Peter Pan, Barry and Pearson tell how Peter came to live on Neverland and never grow up. As the orphaned Peter sails toward his new home he meets Molly, whose father guards a great secret. Together, they battle fierce storms, vicious pirates, and terrifying monsters in order to protect that secret.

Major Characters: Peter, Molly, Black Stache (a pirate captain)

Comments: Even though this novel was written as a retelling of the Peter Pan story, the plot could have easily stood on its own. The authors have taken great liberties with details of the story and have made it completely theirs. They answer all the burning questions such as who the lost boys are, how Peter learned to fly, and how Capt. Hook got into a run-in with that crocodile. This is a highly entertaining novel, and I wouldn't be surprised if it got turned into a movie at some point. My only criticism is that the was not as funny as I expected it to be, (considering who wrote it), but I still strongly recommend it.

Genre: Revised fairy tale / Fantasy

Age Level: 10-15

Rank: 4/5