Grim Tuesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 2)
Grade 5-8–Just 15 minutes afterMister Monday(Scholastic, 2003) ended, with Arthur Penhaligon cleaning up the mess the slothful Mister Monday made of Earth, the asthmatic orphan is summoned again. His new adversary is Grim Tuesday, and once again he finds himself in a battle to the death to get the Second Key. If he gives in to the errant Days or loses the battle against them, he knows they will destroy his own home on Earth as well as the Denizens and inhabitants of the magical House, including his new friend and stalwart companion Suzy Turquoise Blue, one of the children spirited away from plague-ridden Europe by the Pied Piper centuries earlier. Grim Tuesday's weakness is greed, and the themes running through this book all revolve around excesses of manufacturing, copying, and accumulation. As before, Nix creates unusual characters, artifacts, and settings. Once again, Arthur proves himself a worthy hero as he overcomes his fears, weaknesses, and setbacks in order to save the people and the worlds that are depending on him, whether they know it or not. But of course, there will be more challenges to come. The series is aimed at a younger audience than Nix's masterfulSabriel(HarperCollins, 1996) and its sequels. While occasionally longer than they need to be, Arthur Penhaligon's adventures are absorbing and entertaining, with worthy characters and thought-provoking situations.–Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.