Children of the Dawnland
Grade 4–8—The Gears, known for their adult titles, have utilized their archaeological knowledge to write their first book for children. This story imagines what life might have been like for the Clovis people who lived in what is now the northeastern United States and eastern Canada at the end of the Ice Age. Twig is the daughter of the village dreamer, a shamanlike person whose visions are used as a means to guide the tribe. She has been having visions that tell of a great ball of fire in the sky, and is convinced that her people must move west to avoid annihilation. Twig's mother, out of fear for her, has tried to keep her from exploring her visions, but the 12-year-old feels compelled to train as a dreamer in order to save her people. Initially it might be challenging for today's youth to wade through the anthropomorphized names given to natural phenomena such as Wind Woman, Moon Maiden, and Star People; the heavy emphasis on the power given to dreams and visions; and the slow story line for the first half of the book. However, the plot soon quickens. Twig and her friend Greyhawk set off on a quest to find Cobia, a dreamer with extraordinary power, and are chased by the violent and murderous Thornback Raiders. The world really does seem to be close to destruction when Twig's vision comes true. Even the most selective children won't be able to read fast enough at this point, if they get this far.—Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.