The Door in the Forest

January 17, 2011
In this moving fantasy, 14-year-old Daniel has lived his entire life in little Everwood, untouched by the violent
Uncertainties terrorizing the cities. His world changes, however, with the arrivals of Emily Byrdsong, granddaughter of the local witch, and, later, the menacing Captain Sloper, who heads a small army. Despite its idyllic appearance, Everwood has a secret. In the nearby river is a mysterious, unreachable island, protected by deadly water snakes and quicksand; the last time someone tried to row there, "something ripped long gashes in the hull before it got halfway across." Emily, whose mother has been arrested in the Uncertainties, believes that she has heard her mother's voice calling from the island and becomes obsessed with reaching it. Sloper, thinking it hides a rebel weapons cache, becomes similarly obsessed. Daniel wants to reach the island simply because it's mysterious, but also because he's falling in love with Emily. When the children reach their goal, Townley (The Blue Shoe) provides revelations that are both comic and awesome. Reminiscent of the work of Diana Wynne Jones, this lovely tale should impress young readers. Ages 8–12.

February 1, 2011

Daniel's life in a small town in the middle of nowhere is marred only by the occasional trouble brought on by the fact that he cannot tell a lie—at least until the arrival of a strange girl named Emily and a battered group of soldiers who barge into town claiming only to need food and shelter. As Daniel, his little brother, Wesley, and Emily become friends, they discover that the soldiers are up to no good. When Emily's grandmother disappears, the friends determine that she has gone to the magical island located nearby, an island that all of the townspeople can see yet none can ever reach. The three friends follow an ancient map to find her. While the characters are interesting and likable, the setting and plot are much too vague to be engaging. Readers understand that there is some kind of political turmoil that has resulted in a series of skirmishes called the Uncertainties, but which side is which and what is at stake is left unclear. Readers also learn that Emily and her family have powers that help protect the town and are somehow connected to the magical island (which is, perhaps, where people go, at least temporarily, when they die, or not). But how these powers, the town, the island and the military skirmishes all fit together remains a mystery. Perplexing. (Fantasy. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

Gr 5-7-Life in his rural town has always been boring for 14-year-old Daniel, but this summer is different. The Uncertainties that have plagued nearby cities with unrest and violence bring first refugees and then soldiers to Everwood. One of the refugees is 13-year-old Emily, granddaughter of the town witch, who is as fascinated by the nearby mysterious and inaccessible island as Daniel is. When sinister Captain Sloper becomes interested in the island as well, Daniel and Emily know they must go on a dangerous and almost deadly mission to save it. It is 1923, but an alternate 1923 with those Uncertainties. Otherwise the setting is one that will feel familiar to readers of Ingrid Law's Scumble (Dial, 2010) and N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards (Random, 2007)-rural America laced with subtle magic. Daniel cannot tell a lie (literally), and Emily is heir to the magic that permeates the island, but they are also regular kids facing a scary outside force in the form of violent, unpredictable soldiers. The island and its protectors and inhabitants are a lively blend of whimsy and unsettling mystery, a tone that permeates the book. Readers will still have questions at the end (about the Uncertainties, about the island), but the narration allows enough room to ponder and imagine possible answers. A suspenseful, thought-provoking fantasy.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 After government soldiers looking for rebels and ammunition move into their houses and several townspeople abruptly disappear, 14-year-old Daniel Crowley, his younger brother Wes, and neighbor Emily decide to escape to a reputedly inaccessible island that has always fascinated them. With the help of an old map, they travel back in time and across the water, where an albino leopard leads them to a hidden paradise that is sheltering several of Emilys relatives. Although its tempting to remain, the three realize they are needed back home since the militia are threatening to destroy the entire town. Intriguing characters (Daniel cannot lie; Emily reads minds; Wes is a map expert) and a strong sense of quest will keep readers turning the pages of this fast-paced book, despite the fact that the war (referred to as the Uncertainties) is never fully explained. Fans of the authors earlier Sylvie CycleThe Great Good Thing (2001), Into the Labyrinth (2002), and The Constellation of Sylvie (2006)will enjoy the complexities of this more mature fantasy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2011
In a fictional 1923, in a time of "Uncertainties," Daniel is troubled by two things. One is the unreachable island in the middle of the forest ("The place pushed back against all your attempts, setting out twisted thickets of hedge-apple trees bristling with curved, medieval-looking thorns"); the other is his inability to lie, which renders him unpopular. Both are central when calamity descends on the town in the form of mad Captain Sloper. Claiming they are rooting out traitors, Sloper and his soldiers shell the protected island -- when they aren't harassing Daniel's new friend Emily, who seems to have a special relationship to it. Only after multiple confrontations with the military and a visit to the mysterious island do Emily and Daniel unravel the relevant puzzles. Townley's fanciful story swings like a pendulum from Wild West tall tale to a vague mysticism that is enlivened by colorful imagery. At the novel's not-so-strong moments, plot and episode waver in their logic. At its considerable best, it is quirky and engaging; sentences hurry purposefully along, deepening atmosphere, theme, and plot ("The trees [were] deeply shadowed, as if they knew more about night than the rest of us"). deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 1, 2011

Daniel's life in a small town in the middle of nowhere is marred only by the occasional trouble brought on by the fact that he cannot tell a lie--at least until the arrival of a strange girl named Emily and a battered group of soldiers who barge into town claiming only to need food and shelter. As Daniel, his little brother, Wesley, and Emily become friends, they discover that the soldiers are up to no good. When Emily's grandmother disappears, the friends determine that she has gone to the magical island located nearby, an island that all of the townspeople can see yet none can ever reach. The three friends follow an ancient map to find her. While the characters are interesting and likable, the setting and plot are much too vague to be engaging. Readers understand that there is some kind of political turmoil that has resulted in a series of skirmishes called the Uncertainties, but which side is which and what is at stake is left unclear. Readers also learn that Emily and her family have powers that help protect the town and are somehow connected to the magical island (which is, perhaps, where people go, at least temporarily, when they die, or not). But how these powers, the town, the island and the military skirmishes all fit together remains a mystery. Perplexing. (Fantasy. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)