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Summary
Summary
Two tantalizing tales, magically intertwined, cross cultures and span centuries as three kids set out to save the lives of three others--who just happen to live in the Middle Ages!
A stone lion roars....
A sleek black cat speaks....
A faun leaps from the canvas of a painting....
When Jared, Shireen, and Miranda are each given one glittering gift from an old Venetian shopkeeper, they never fathom the powers they are now able to unleash; they never expect that their very reality is about to be utterly upended. And the adventure has hardly begun.
For in another time, centuries earlier, another trio--Rashid, Maria, and Francesca--have been thrown together under terrible circumstances: They have been kidnapped and, along with hundreds of other children, will be sold into child slavery. Unless, that is, they can find some way to save them all.
But all their fates lie in the hands of Jared, Shireen, and Miranda. The future--and the lives--of these three very modern children become entirely intertwined with those of the children from the past. Danger, it seems, has a way of spanning centuries.
Author Notes
Ian Baucom is a professor and Director of the Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University. He is the author of several books for adults and currently lives with his wife and children in Durham, North Carolina.
Justin Gerard won an IPPY Award for his interpretation of Beowolf: Grendel the Ghastly . He lives in South Carolina.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Jared, Shireen, and Miranda and their parents are in Venice for a semester. The siblings' days are filled with endless trips to museums and churches, but when they each receive a magical gift from a storekeeper, their days and nights fill with danger and adventure. Miranda's ring allows her to understand and talk to animals, particularly the storekeeper's cat, Maldini, who teaches the children about their magical mission. The shopkeeper also gives them an ancient book that tells of three children who lived in Venice hundreds of years earlier and were kidnapped by an evil monk, Fra Bartolomeo. Jared and his sisters realize that Rashid, Maria, and Francesca are now in present-day Venice and that Maldini's owner has also been kidnapped. The six youngsters come together to save the signore and other kidnapped children from the evil monk, using the book, assistance from magical creatures, and their own skills. Frequent black-and-white illustrations support the narrative. Baucom's familiarity with the setting and use of Italian words heighten the atmosphere. The realistically drawn siblings are faced with internal doubts and conflicts, and Fra Bartolomeo is a truly evil character. The mix of protagonists' genders, historical details, and interesting magic creates a story with broad appeal and a message about the power of words that is reminiscent of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (Scholastic, 2003).-Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
An enigmatic Venetian shopkeeper entreats siblings Jared, Shireen, and Miranda to stop the theft of relics connected with three children kidnapped from an eight-hundred-year-old storybook. Familiar lessons about self-confidence and an abrupt resolution are offset by the compelling dual narrative, time-bending magic, and mystical allies. Black-and-white spot pencil illustrations help set the mood. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Six kids--three from the modern-day United States, three from Venice in the late Middle Ages--struggle to right ancient wrongs in this engaging fantasy adventure. American siblings Jared and Shireen and their younger sister, Miranda, are two months into their semesterlong stay in Venice. There while their university-professor father does research, the excitement of living abroad has grown old. After they accept presents and an ancient book from an elderly Venetian bookseller, they are compelled by the magic in the gifts and the story in the book to rescue the other three--Rashid, Francesca and Maria--from the clutches of an unbalanced and fanatical monk. Interspersed "translations" from the gift book provide a vague historical setting and keep the plot moving while producing maximum suspense and excitement. Mystery and anticipation build to the very end of the story, much of it caused by wondering if the clueless American parents will discover their children's nightly absences. The occasional false note--some didacticism and weaknesses in the fantasy mechanics--will not bother young readers; the action and exotic creatures will keep them engrossed in the story. Having teen characters as well as younger girls may help attract a broad audience of genre fans. A likable fantasy, the author's first for children. (black-and-white spot art; not seen) (Fantasy. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
American siblings Jared, Shireen, and Miranda live in Venice with their parents while Dad teaches history at a local university. One day, a bookstore owner gifts them with an old volume, two rings, and a wooden die, triggering their participation in a magical adventure that involves animal helpers, an evil monk, the ability to make objects enter and exit artwork, and three children from the time of the Crusades. Eventually, the sibs piece together their purpose in this mystery: helping the time travelers rescue the bookstore owner and some orphans and enabling everyone to return to their own time. Baucom assembles his debut novel using elements of history (the Children's Crusade), folklore (The Arabian Nights), and contemporary Venice, seasoned with a generous dose of metafiction. And although this seems largely to be Jared's story (his sisters serve as helpers on this quest), the ending hints at further adventures, which may provide the girls their chance to shine. Give this to fantasy buffs, especially fans of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2010 Booklist