Be Careful What You Wish For - Edited by Lois Metzger

Be Careful What You Wish For
Ten Stories About Wishes
Edited by Lois Metzger
Scholastic
ISBN 9780439933346

This collection of ten short stories is all about wishing. It is also a warning about wishes not always going the way you expect no matter how careful you think you are being. It is also about real wishes, when you are desperate and need help and sometimes it comes through, often from unexpected people. It is a good collection. The contributors are:

Louise Hawes
A. LaFaye
Gail Carson Levine
Patricia McCormick
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Liz Rosenberg
Catherine Stine
Rachael Vail
Deborah Wiles
Jane Yolen
Heidi E.Y. Stemple

And now for a look at each of these pieces and see where a simple wish can take us.

Wish Week
Gail Carson Levine
What would you wish for if you went to a school and everybody in the 6th grade got a wish and knew it would come true? Now you know you need to be careful because you do not want Post Wish Trauma, and your wish will only come true for the week. Or what if you cannot decide on a good safe wish. That is the situation for Tam.

That's the Way the Fortune Cookie Crumbles
Louise Hawes
You think your life stinks. Your older sister got the looks, the brains and the talent. Then one night at dinner you get a fortune cookie different than everybody else's. The owner says it is like a scroll fragment monks use. You think you might have a real wish. What would you wish for - to trade places with your sister, to make her pay? … read and find out.

Our Pig, Satin
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Every day you wish for a pet pig. You dream of the pig, you have conversations with it. Your mother and grandmother mock your dreams and consider you sour when you sit and wish and dream. But maybe wishing isn't so bad after all, especially if you share your wish with a new friend.

Five Djinn in a Bottle
Liz Rosenberg
Five little genies trapped in a jar. One grumpy man trying to make careful wishes. But maybe one genie would be bad enough but trying to outwit five? Heaven help the man.

Black Sheep of the Family
Patricia McCormick
Ever wish one day you would wake up and be told your family wasn't your family? There was a mistake at the hospital, you were adopted. What if it happened your cousin told you that you were, and you started to believe it? How would you determine the truth? Would you try the scientific method?

The Fashion Contest
Catherine Stine
You and your arch rival at school end up in a fashion-walk off for history class. How did you let that happen to your tomboy self? Read and find out.

The Reason I will Love John MacFarlane Jr. Until the Day I Die
Rachael Vail
This is an incredibly moving story. It almost brought me to tears. Who has not been touched by cancer? Best in the bunch.

Be Careful What You Wish For
Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple
How would you react if, when you hit a rock with a Karate punch you woke a Genius Loci? You ask him to fix your family because you just learned that your parents are splitting up. He laughs at you and tells you it isn't his department. But maybe he sends his friend to visit you - a fairy godmother. You know wishes in stories don't often work out the way you expect, so you are very careful about the wording you use. So how come everything seems to be going sideways?

Beggar's Ride
A. LaFaye
You wish your twin brothers would be quiet, or considerate or even just less obnoxious. But then they go missing at a truck stop. Would you really wish them gone?

Star Light, Star Bright
Deborah Wiles
You are poor, at a new school and in a new town. You wish for just one friend, a real friend. What if it seems your wish is coming true? And yet things are not always what they appear. But sometimes, just sometimes, we do realize our wishes. Read and find out how.

This collection was a good collection of short stories, but not really my favorite. I had read another collection Bites! Stories to Sink your Teeth Into, by the same editor. This one is a little too much Chick-lit for me. But good stories overall and would definitely be good for younger female readers. Again, as a tribute to Metzger's editorship, there was not a story that I really didn't enjoy.

The Dead End - Poison Apple Book 1 - Mimi McCoy

The Dead End
Mimi McCoy
Poison Apple Book 1
An Imprint of Scholastic
ISBN 9780545203180

Scholastic goes Goth, or at least dark and scary. This new series by Scholastic Press has some great potential - it looks like a dark off-shoot of their popular Candy Apple Books. This new series from Poison Apple Books starts with 2 out this spring, one in August and another in the fall and it looks amazing. I have read advance copies of the first two and they were great.

Casey Slater had her summer all planned out. She and her best friend knew what they would be doing all summer long and they would be doing it together. Then a few weeks before the end of school her parents tell her they have a surprise. Her parents bought a house in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire, just outside Stillness. Her parents plan to restore this old creaky and creepy house. Everyone in town believes the house is haunted and soon so does Casey. She finds the diary from a girl who lived there 70 years earlier, Millicent Amelia Hughes, and while reading the journal, finds out Millicent's story and her own apprehension of being haunted are eerily similar. China cabinets fall over, vases explode, and all the electrical devices go on before the house has power. These and other events lead Casey to believe the house is haunted, and that maybe Millicent is out to get her. But things are not always as they appear. To quote the back of the book: "Casey thought she'd be dying of boredom, but now she's scared to death!"

Poison Apple Books:
The Dead End - Mimi McCoy
This Totally Bites! - Ruth Ames
Miss Fortune - Brandi Dougherty
Now You See Me - Jane B. Mason & Sarah Hines Stephens
Midnight Howl - Clare Hutton
Her Evil Twin - Mimi McCoy
Curiosity Killed the Cat - Sierra Harimann
At First Bite - Ruth Ames

Rotten Apple Books:
Mean Ghouls - Staci Deutsch
Zombie Dog - Clare Hutton

Bayou Dogs - Derek Stone 2 - Tony Abbott

Bayou Dogs
The Haunting of Derek Stone
Book 2
Tony Abbott
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545034302
Derek's life keeps getting stranger and stranger. For a boy who likes plain facts and doesn't like make believe or fantasy, his life has turned upside down. In Book One, City of the Dead, Derek is in a train wreck; he survives but believes his brother and father are lost. Then a number of weeks later his brother turns up, and it is his brother, but he is changed. The dead are coming back and they are waging a war between darkness and light. And darkness seems to be winning. For some reason the dead that have come back keep looking for and finding Derek. They believe he has knowledge about how to open the rift between the two worlds.In this instalment, Derek and his 'Brother" are chased all over the French quarter of New Orleans. They are aided by an old musician, and their father reappears and enters the battle to help them. He gives them clues that lead them to Bayou Malpierre, a place that haunts Derek because he almost drowned there a few years earlier. The story in this segment progresses well - more enemies from the land of the dead manage to cross over. Abby Donner, another survivor from the train crash, wakes from her coma and Derek finds her and seeks any information she can remember. Yet again it leaves us with a cliff-hanger and eagerly waiting to start book three.

I stated in my first review that I believed the books could be marketed to teens or an adult audience by being combined into one longer volume. This second book further convinced me of the fact. Tony Abbot is the author of over 70 books for readers both young and young at heart. He is most known for his Secrets of Droon series and his bestselling novels Kringle and Firegirl.

Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)
  
Books By Tony Abbott:
Goofballs
1. The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder (2012)
2. The Startling Story of the Stolen Statue (2012)
3. Superhero Silliness (2012)
4. The Mysterious Talent Show Mystery (2013)
5. The Scary Story of the Ha-Ha-Haunted House (2013) 

Underworlds:
1. The Battle Begins (2012)
2. When Monsters Escape (2012)
3. Revenge of the Scorpion King (2013)
4. The Ice Dragon (2013)

Danger Guys
1. Danger Guys (1994)
2. Danger Guys Blast Off (1994)
3. Hollywood Halloween (1994)
4. Danger Guys Hit the Beach (1995)
5. Danger Guys on Ice (1995)
6. Danger Guys and the Golden Lizard (1996)

Time Surfers
1. Space Bingo (1996)
2. Orbit Wipeout! (1995)
3. Mondo Meltdown (1996)
4. Into the Zonk Zone! (1996)
5. Splash Crash (1997)
6. Zero Hour (1997)
7. Shock Wave (1997)
8. Doom Star (1997)

Weird Zone
1. Zombie Surf Commandos from Mars (1996)
2. The Incredible Shrinking Kid (1996)
3. The Beast from Beneath the Cafeteria! (1996)
4. Attack of the Alien Mole Invaders! (1996)
5. The Brain That Wouldn't Obey! (1996)
6. Gigantopus from Planet X! (1997)
7. Cosmic Boy Versus Mezmo Head! (1997)
8. Revenge of the Tiki Men! (1997)

Secrets of Droon
1. The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet (1999)
2. Journey to the Volcano Palace (1999)
3. The Mysterious Island (1999)
4. City in the Clouds (1999)
5. The Great Ice Battle (1999)
6. The Sleeping Giant of Goll (2000)
7. Into the Land of the Lost (2000)
8. The Golden Wasp (2000)
9. Tower of the Elf King (2000)
10. Quest for the Queen (2000)
11. The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom (2000)
12. Under the Serpent Sea (2001)
13. The Mask of Maliban (2001)
14. Voyage of the Jaffa Wind (2002)
15. The Moon Scroll (2002)
16. The Knights of Silversnow (2002)
Special Edition 1. The Magic Escapes (2002)
17. Dream Thief (2003)
18. Search for the Dragon Ship (2003)
19. The Coiled Viper (2003)
20. In The Ice Caves of Krog (2003)
21. Flight of the Genie (2003)
Special Edition 2. Wizard or Witch? (2004)
22. The Isle of Mists (2004)
23. The Fortress of the Treasure Queen (2004)
24. Race To Doobesh (2005)
25. The Riddle Of Zorfendorf Castle (2005)
Special Edition 3. Voyagers of the Silver Sand (2005)
26. The Moon Dragon (2006)
27. The Chariot of Queen Zara (2006)
28. In the Shadow of Goll (2006)
Special Edition 4. Sorcerer (2006)
29. Pirates of the Purple Dawn (2007)
30. Escape from Jabar-Loo (2007)
31. Queen of Shadowthorn (2007)
Special Edition 5. Moon Magic (2008)
32. Treasure of the Orkins (2008)
33. Flight of the Blue Serpent (2008)
34. In the City of Dreams (2009)
Special Edition 6. Crown of Wizards (2009)
35. The Lost Empire Of Koomba (2009)
36. Knights of the Ruby Wand (2010)
Special Edition 7. The Genie King (2010)
Special Edition 8. The Final Quest (2010)

Don't Touch That Remote
1. Sitcom School (1999)
2. The Fake Teacher (1999)
3. Stinky Business (announced, not published)
4. Freak Week (announced, not published)

Cracked Classics
1. Trapped in Transylvania: Dracula (2002)
2. Mississippi River Blues: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2002)
3. What a Trip!: Around the World in Eighty Days (2002)
4. Humbug Holiday: A Christmas Carol (2002)

5. X Marks the Spot: Treasure Island (2003)
6. Crushing on a Capulet: Romeo and Juliet (2003)

Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)

The Copernicus Legacy

The Forbidden Stone (2013)

The Serpent's Curse (2014

Novels
Kringle (2005)
Firegirl (2006)
The Postcard (2008)
Lunch-Box Dream (2011)

Author profile interview with Tony Abbott.

A Strange Case of Magic - Barnes & the Brains Book 2 - Kenneth Oppel

A Strange Case of Magic
Barnes & the Brains Book 2
Kenneth Oppel (blog)
HarperTrophy Canada - Browse Inside
ISBN 9781554685295

In this second book, Barnes is waiting to meet the Brains at the Library. Barnes is friends with two child geniuses, Kevin and Tina Quark - Tina being the more academic of the two, and a little bit less personable. While in the library stacks looking for books for Tina for her latest project - experiment Barnes sees a stack of books floating and sees another one come off the shelf and be flipped through. He finds the Quarks and shows them what he has discovered. Tina thinks it is a ghost, Barnes is not so sure. Once they discover what is really going on, will Tina's science solve the problem, or will Barnes' more practical common sense approach save the day again? You will need to read it to find out.

Harper Collins, is currently republishing the original six books in this series. These books were previously published between 1994 and 2004 by Scholastic. The books intended for young readers are good, fun reads. Barnes & the Brains books will easily be enjoyed by youth and their parents, or youth of all ages. Yet we can only hope that more books will soon come out in this grand series.

Barnes & The Brains Books
A Bad Case of Ghosts
A Strange Case of Magic
A Crazy Case of Robots
An incredible Case of Dinosaurs
A Weird Case of Super-Goo
A Creepy Case of Vampires

Books by Kenneth Oppel:

Half Brother (2010)
The Devil's Cure (2000)
Dead Water Zone (1992)
The Live-Forever Machine (1990)

Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
This Dark Endeavour (2011)
Such Wicked Intent (2012)

The Silverwing Saga
Silverwing (1997)
Sunwing (1999)
Firewing (2002)
Darkwing (2007)

Airborn Series
Airborn (2004)
Skybreaker (2005)
Starclimber (2008)

Children's Fiction:

The King's Taster (2009)
Peg and the Yeti (2004)
Peg and the Whale (2000)
Emma's Emu (1995)
Galactic Snapshots (1993)
Cosmic Snapshots (1993)
Follow That Star (1992)
Cosimo Cat (1990)
Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure (1985)

City of the Dead - Derek Stone 1 - Tony Abbott

City of the Dead
The Haunting of Derek Stone
Book 1
Tony Abbott
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545034296

This book reads like a cross between Flatliners and the Crow but is written for a younger audience. It is dark and haunting and yet compelling to read and leaves the reader desiring the next book in the series. It is a ghost story set in a southern gothic milieu, in and around the New Orleans French Quarter. Our protagonist Derek Stone is a young man, who prefers fact to fiction and things that can be proved and quantified. His life is literally turned upside down when on a trip with his father and brother they are in a train wreck. Derek survives and is beginning to deal with the death of his brother and father when a month after the accident his brother is found. But something doesn't seem right about his brother.Derek soon realizes that the world is not as orderly as he believed, and that the dead do not always stay dead. The dead are coming back and most of them seem to be after him. He is not sure how it happened or why, but he realizes that he is at the center of something very important, something that could matter to all who are still living. And yet we wonder: can a young man with so much stacked against him solve the puzzle in time?Tony Abbot has written over 70 books for readers both young and young at heart. Most known for his Secrets of Droon series and his bestselling novels Kringle and Firegirl, this book was an interesting read; it raises questions, about the afterlife, souls and death. Abbot manages to capture our imagination and the book is so well-written it will compel you to read the rest of the series. It would be interesting to see how it did in general fiction with the four volumes published as a single book for adults. I believe it would garner a large fan base in that market also.

Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)
  
Books By Tony Abbott:
Goofballs
1. The Crazy Case of Missing Thunder (2012)
2. The Startling Story of the Stolen Statue (2012)
3. Superhero Silliness (2012)
4. The Mysterious Talent Show Mystery (2013)
5. The Scary Story of the Ha-Ha-Haunted House (2013) 

Underworlds:
1. The Battle Begins (2012)
2. When Monsters Escape (2012)
3. Revenge of the Scorpion King (2013)
4. The Ice Dragon (2013)

Danger Guys
1. Danger Guys (1994)
2. Danger Guys Blast Off (1994)
3. Hollywood Halloween (1994)
4. Danger Guys Hit the Beach (1995)
5. Danger Guys on Ice (1995)
6. Danger Guys and the Golden Lizard (1996)

Time Surfers
1. Space Bingo (1996)
2. Orbit Wipeout! (1995)
3. Mondo Meltdown (1996)
4. Into the Zonk Zone! (1996)
5. Splash Crash (1997)
6. Zero Hour (1997)
7. Shock Wave (1997)
8. Doom Star (1997)

Weird Zone
1. Zombie Surf Commandos from Mars (1996)
2. The Incredible Shrinking Kid (1996)
3. The Beast from Beneath the Cafeteria! (1996)
4. Attack of the Alien Mole Invaders! (1996)
5. The Brain That Wouldn't Obey! (1996)
6. Gigantopus from Planet X! (1997)
7. Cosmic Boy Versus Mezmo Head! (1997)
8. Revenge of the Tiki Men! (1997)

Secrets of Droon
1. The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet (1999)
2. Journey to the Volcano Palace (1999)
3. The Mysterious Island (1999)
4. City in the Clouds (1999)
5. The Great Ice Battle (1999)
6. The Sleeping Giant of Goll (2000)
7. Into the Land of the Lost (2000)
8. The Golden Wasp (2000)
9. Tower of the Elf King (2000)
10. Quest for the Queen (2000)
11. The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom (2000)
12. Under the Serpent Sea (2001)
13. The Mask of Maliban (2001)
14. Voyage of the Jaffa Wind (2002)
15. The Moon Scroll (2002)
16. The Knights of Silversnow (2002)
Special Edition 1. The Magic Escapes (2002)
17. Dream Thief (2003)
18. Search for the Dragon Ship (2003)
19. The Coiled Viper (2003)
20. In The Ice Caves of Krog (2003)
21. Flight of the Genie (2003)
Special Edition 2. Wizard or Witch? (2004)
22. The Isle of Mists (2004)
23. The Fortress of the Treasure Queen (2004)
24. Race To Doobesh (2005)
25. The Riddle Of Zorfendorf Castle (2005)
Special Edition 3. Voyagers of the Silver Sand (2005)
26. The Moon Dragon (2006)
27. The Chariot of Queen Zara (2006)
28. In the Shadow of Goll (2006)
Special Edition 4. Sorcerer (2006)
29. Pirates of the Purple Dawn (2007)
30. Escape from Jabar-Loo (2007)
31. Queen of Shadowthorn (2007)
Special Edition 5. Moon Magic (2008)
32. Treasure of the Orkins (2008)
33. Flight of the Blue Serpent (2008)
34. In the City of Dreams (2009)
Special Edition 6. Crown of Wizards (2009)
35. The Lost Empire Of Koomba (2009)
36. Knights of the Ruby Wand (2010)
Special Edition 7. The Genie King (2010)
Special Edition 8. The Final Quest (2010)

Don't Touch That Remote
1. Sitcom School (1999)
2. The Fake Teacher (1999)
3. Stinky Business (announced, not published)
4. Freak Week (announced, not published)

Cracked Classics
1. Trapped in Transylvania: Dracula (2002)
2. Mississippi River Blues: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2002)
3. What a Trip!: Around the World in Eighty Days (2002)
4. Humbug Holiday: A Christmas Carol (2002)

5. X Marks the Spot: Treasure Island (2003)
6. Crushing on a Capulet: Romeo and Juliet (2003)

Haunting of Derek Stone
1. City of the Dead (2009)
2. Bayou Dogs (2009)
3. The Red House (2009)
4. The Ghost Road (2009)

The Copernicus Legacy

The Forbidden Stone (2013)

The Serpent's Curse (2014

Novels
Kringle (2005)
Firegirl (2006)
The Postcard (2008)
Lunch-Box Dream (2011)

Author profile interview with Tony Abbott

Bites! Scary Stories to Sink Your Teeth Into - Edited by Lois Metzger

Bites Scary
Stories to Sink Your Teeth Into
Edited by Lois Metzger
Scholastic
ISBN 9780545158909

This collection of seven short stories is all about the creatures of the night, from vampires, to werewolves to Ghosts or at least spirits. It is at times funny and at times frightening. It presents the creatures of the night in many new lights. This will entertain and surprise and maybe just cause you to reflect on the stereotypes you hold about creatures, though different from still creatures with feelings and their own outlook on life, afterlife or undead depending on how you look at them. The contributors are:

Neal Shusterman
Terry Black
Ellen Wittlinger
Christopher Paul Curtis
Douglas Rees
Kevin Emerson
Joshua Gee
Peter Lerangis

And now for a look at each of these morsels to give you a sampling of the flavor of these Bites.

Perpetual Pest
Neal Shusterman and Terry Black
Neal is an award winning author of more than 30 books for young adults. This is his first collaborative effort with Terry. Terry writes books, movies, TV and cartoons. He won an award for his work on Tales from the Crypt. Neil is best known for his novels Unwind, Full Tilt and The Shadow Club. In this tale two brothers break into the Perpetual Rest Cemetery to rob graves of their riches. But they find something they had not been expecting.

Ghost Dog
Ellen Wittlinger
Sometimes things are not always what they appear to be. In this wonderfully crafted tale, Jack had to move to the middle of nowhere after his parents divorce, and being summer break, he has met few people. The one friend he has tells him a story about a ghost dog. But maybe that isn't the only ghost in the story. Ellen has published 14 novels and won the Michael L. Printz Honor Award. Her most popular works included Sandpiper, Blind Faith, Parrotfish and Love and Lies.

Going Old School In The Age of Obama
Christopher Paul Curtis
Christopher, a former auto worker from Flint Michigan, has both a Newbery Honor and Medal book in The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy. He has written numerous books for young adults. In the Age of Obama the vampires have come out of the woodwork and are accepted. They are the double hyphens - Vamp-Afro-American is the tag our hero wears. Maurice is a nice young vampire; he gets his blood from the bank, and would never imagine biting someone's throat … or that is until he has a vision from his grant grandpa.

Anasazi Breakdown
Douglas Rees
You are on a road trip with your mother after your father passes away. His dying wish was for you and your mom to make the trip the three of you had always planned. When in an Anasazi ruins, you see a piece of pottery, and even though you know you shouldn't, you snatch it up. But that is just the beginning of your problems - soon you twist your knee and the car breaks down. Is it all related? Douglas is a man of many talents, most known for his Vampire High, Smoking Mirror and Uncle Pirate. He has wanted to be a writer since he was 12 but it took him until he was 50 to publish his first novel. Both his Biography and his alternative biography are worth a read.

The Coffin Deliveries
Kevin Emerson (blog)
As the author of the immensely popular Oliver Nocturne, Kevin is no stranger to writing about the supernatural. You have witnessed 5 coffins being delivered to a house on your way to school. Pets are missing from all over the neighborhood. What would ever cause you to check out the back of the house? Could you end up becoming a guest of honor at a vampire dinner?

Where Wolves Never Wander
Joshua Gee (blog)
Joshua is the author of the award-winning book Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying TRUTH About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters and More. This is a horror story told by wolves to young wolves to protect them and help them avoid a fate worse than death. Read and find out what the wolves are afraid of.

I, Blooder
Peter Lerangis
This was a fantastic story, about a young vampire who is different from all the others. First he is pink not pale white, second he does not have the powers the others have, but he also has strength they do not. He can tolerate the sun, and he can stay awake during the day. Written in part as a story and in part as a research paper with extensive footnotes, this was a great tale and could be worked into an excellent novel. Peter is an award-winning author with more than 160 books to his credit, including 2 of the 10 books in the immensely popular 39 Clues series.

All in all this was a fun collection presenting some very new twists on old tales and legends. Each author presented a convincing piece that was enjoyable to read. Usually when I read an anthology or collection like this one, there is often one that sticks out as the strongest or the weakest. That was not the case this time around. That would be a credit to Lois Metzger's editing.

The Clone Codes - The McKissacks

The Clone Codes
Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick L. McKissack and Joch McKissack
Scholastic
ISBN 9780439929837

In the year 2170, a hundred years after the Cyborg wars, humanity has had peace and prosperity, and yet things are not as rosy as they seem. Cyborgs are only considered 3/5 human and do not have many rights. Clones have even fewer. For the global Clone Code states:

"The Clone Codes:

Clones are living organisms patented by Topas Corporation International. All rights are reserved.

• All clones are to be identified by numbers or alphanumeric designations. The use of names is restricted.
• Clones have no rights under a court of law and are recognized solely as property.
• Groups of clones in excess of three are not permitted without direct human supervision.
• Attempting to educate a clone beyond its work model specifications is forbidden and punishable in accordance with article 3C74.
• The manufacture of a clone in the likeness of a child is a capital offense.
• Imprinting the ability to mimic human emotions into a clone's behavioural patterns is forbidden.
• A clone that disobeys a direct order must immediately be taken to a processing center for decommissioning.
• Instructing a clone to lie is restricted.
• Since clones are not citizens, they may not participate in elections.

Issued by the Clone Humane Society, the government agency for the protection and processing of clones."

The story focuses around a group called the Liberty Bell, modeled after and a continuation of the abolitionists' movement, founded by Benjamin Franklin. He was contacted by the O - observers from the future who have appeared from the future to humans at different points in history to help foster freedom and liberty for all humans. Those contacted are called Custodians they are shown truths and help lead and guide the Liberty Bell movement to work for human freedom. The Custodians are Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911), Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), Dr. David H. Montgomery (2057-2142) and an unknown child who will be contacted in 2170. Our story is also the story of Leanna Deberry; she is a 13 year-old girl, going to school and hanging out with friends. Then her world is shattered. Her mother, world-renowned child doctor Annette Deberry, is arrested for treason and terrorism for her role in the Liberty Bell group. Soon Leanna finds herself on the run and with unusual help. She finds out the truth about a family secret that shatters her perception of herself and her world view.

This is an amazing book and the first in a trilogy by the McKissacks. It is fast- paced and gripping. Once I picked it up I did not want to put it down and read it in 2 sittings. In part, it is a retelling of the antislavery story in a future setting; it uses historical characters and their lives and examples in a different context much like the books in the 39 Clues Series. But it is also partially a retelling of antislavery and antiracism much like Sven Lindqvist's The Skull Measurer's Mistake, but in a fictional setting. It is well researched and very well written. It even has a bit of a Blade Runner feel to it that will make it intriguing to older readers.

Overall I would say it was an excellent book, which I could not put down. I highly recommend it to young and old alike. I am eagerly awaiting the second book which will be told from a cyborg's perspective - a young man named Houston Ye, one of the people to help Leanna.

Note: Preview of book 2 states:

"By order of the World Federation of Nations (WFN), as of January 1, 2084, all persons who have been enhanced with three or more biofe, or synthetic body or organ replacements, shall be classified as three-fifths of a human being, or a cyborg.

The Cyborg Act of 2130
For the security and general welfare of the cyborg race, these protections have been established on this the 7th day of October, 2130.

The Cyborg Codes

• All cyborgs must be registered with the Bureau of Cyborg Affairs (BCA).
• Those that are cyborgs must live within designated areas set aside on the Moon Colony. If a cyborg desires to live or work elsewhere, it must acquire BCA permission.
• It is mandated that cyborgs may not serve as officers in the World Federation of Nations' defence forces or serve in any national law enforcement agencies.
• Cyborg children must attend one of four cyborg academies based on test scores and abilities.
• All cyborgs over the age of 16 must be employed.
• Cyborgs need permission from the BCA to marry or have children.
• The BCA will provide cyborgs with medical insurance and health-care needs.
• Cyborgs cannot inherit real property.
• Cyborgs can only participate in amateur or professional sports within the Cyborg Leagues."

Looks like it will be another great one.

The Clone Codes Trilogy:
The Clone Codes - Book 1
Confessions of a Cyborg - Book 2
The Visitors - Book 3 (February 2012)