CHILD OF THE AIR

On an odd planet far away, two spunky foundlings are recovered by their flying relatives. Mylanfyndra and Brevan grow up thinking that old Gven the broom-maker is their grandfather. On his death, they discover that they have been cared for out of kindness—a characteristic in short supply in their village. Now they are charity children (``geth''), huddled with other geth in poverty and misery. They do have a secret treasure, however—a necklace and a medallion, hidden away by Gven—and an even greater secret: they can fly. During a seasonal storm, they are blown far from the isolated mesa they think is the entire world and land among strangers who capture them to make a sideshow of their flying. Their real kin, though, having sensed their existence, find and release them; they begin their training as couriers and counselors to their world. The charm here lies in Chetwin's ability to make a strange, mysterious world seem real; she even creates a vocabulary of nearly 50 words and names, with a pronouncing guide. (This may also be a drawback, as readers struggle with words that seem to be different only for the sake of difference.) Unanswered questions (how did the people get to their mesas in the first place?) hint at a sequel. (Fiction. 10+)