Atticus Higginbottom is a fairly average boy, despite his unusual and unfortunate name. His nickname, “Tick,” is only slightly better. He doesn’t consider himself special in any way until the day the first letter arrives, a letter telling him that he’s about to receive a series of clues that will tell him of a secret mission he must perform, one that will affect the entire world. He’s warned that it won’t be easy, and that he’ll want to withdraw many times before he’s through. If he doesn’t want to learn more, he should just burn the letter, and no more … Continue reading →

“The Questory of Root Karbunkulus” is a new young adult fantasy novel that features quirky characters, an unusual quest, and a beguiling main character, a young lady named Root. Raised in a strange house by two aunts who show her no love or affection, Root is startled when a telephone begins to ring in her house—a telephone she can’t find. She looks in cupboards, closets, every nook and cranny, and finally follows the sound to a secret trap door in the living room. Opening it and going down the stairs, she locates the telephone and discovers that she’s been chosen … Continue reading →

In “Farworld,” the new young adult fantasy novel, we meet Marcus Kanenas, a thirteen-year-old boy who was abandoned as an infant by parents who have never returned. His body is deformed and he spends his time in a wheelchair, although he can scoot around without it, when necessary, for short distances. He lives in a home for boys, and figures he’s pretty much stuck there forever, despite the fact that the other residents pick on him mercilessly. When a strange man comes to the school and tells Marcus that he’s there to pick up him up and take him to … Continue reading →