January 9, 2017
In the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, four 13-year-olds must solve a series of riddles to track down a rare Arthurian manuscript in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and decode a message to prevent a Nazi strike on New York City. Scrappy Madge leads the diverse band of misfits, speaking in the distinct lingo of a radio-serial heroine (“Whaddya mean, Doc?”). At her side: German refugee Walt, who has an eidetic memory; Joe, a Mohawk boy with a gift for translation; and Japanese-American Kiku, who has special knowledge of the collection. Cultural and socioeconomic clashes among the four highlight racism and bias, as relevant then as now, but also help make them an effective team. Goodman (the Blythewood series) sprinkles a dash of the supernatural on the story, helping offset the harsh realities of war, homelessness, and alienation. The overarching message is one of hope—in order to defeat foes and overcome insecurities, the children must learn to trust each other and be willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Ages 10–up. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House.
December 1, 2016
What happens when a small group of misfits collide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the day Pearl Harbor is attacked? They stumble haphazardly into an Arthurian mystery that has Nazi ties, and it is somehow up to them to save New York from a Nazi terrorist attack, of course.The four kids are a young white orphan, Madge; Kiku, daughter of a Japanese museum curator; Joe, a Mohawk boarding school runaway; and Walt, a white Jewish boy sent to New York from Germany to escape the concentration camps. These four come together to solve a mystery to decode the stolen Kelmsbury, an ancient manuscript. The new friends have had a shared dream of a mysterious man in a trench coat, and they suspect it signals a magical link that ties them to the King Arthur legend. There is a lot going on in this far-fetched tale that reads like an adolescent version of The DaVinci Code, and credulity needs to stretch to accommodate it, as the author leaves it to this arbitrary bunch to run around the Met in search of clues amid an underworld of adult spies during wartime. Contemporary young readers may wish for a primer to sort through the inundation of historical references, be it to the World War II era or ancient Britain. As the text also name-checks Boris Karloff, Joan Fontaine, and the Queen of Sheba, among others, with a little dash of Mohawk language tossed in, readers will need to be either very flexible or ready to look up what they don't know. This historical hodgepodge begs the question, what is this book really about? (Historical adventure. 10-14)
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February 1, 2017
Gr 4-7-A work of historical fiction set during World War II. Madge McGrary doesn't know where she belongs anymore. After moving in with her aunt Jean when her mother died, Madge does her best to stay out from underfoot. When her Sunday afternoon takes her to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Madge, along with Joe, Kiku, and Walt, encounters a very peculiar, if not a bit eccentric, curator named Dr. Dashwood Bean. Dr. Bean entrusts the four children with an important mission: locate the missing Kelmsbury Manuscript, an ancient volume of Arthurian legends, which has been hidden somewhere in the library. With the Kelmsbury's help and a little bit of magic as well, the kids begin to act as though they are the real Lancelot, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, and King Arthur. And they are the only thing standing against a successful attack by the Nazis that could kill millions-even as that which brought them together threatens to tear them apart. In an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones or Allan Quatermain, the action unfolds at a page-turning pace.
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 While dealing with the turmoil of WWII and the recent Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, four kidsMadge, Joe, Walt, and Kikuwith the aid of the hidden pages of the Kelmsbury Manuscript about King Arthur, begin to break the coded message that will aid in keeping America safe from another vicious attack. But can they decipher it in time? As the evil-looking man they've dubbed Mr. January closes in, identical dreams draw them into the world of King Arthur, revealing each child's true capabilities. But all is not rosy: allies are soon questioned, trust is broken, and betrayal is forthcoming. Despite it all, they learn that being just kids doesn't mean they aren't capable of brilliance, love, and braveryindeed, they'll need all that and more to solve the code, retrieve their missing friends and family, and save New York City and her Lady Liberty! A finely constructed and quite often thrilling adventure story for middle-grade readers, with a historical setting and the added twist of medieval magic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2018
Misfits Madge, Joe, Kiku, and Walter unite at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to stop a Nazi plot as the U.S. teeters on the brink of WWII. While discovering clues connected to Arthurian legend that could help foil the Nazis, the diverse kids each develop magical gifts, which tests their loyalty to one another. History and mythology collide a bit awkwardly in an otherwise engaging spy quest.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)