Grandiose series title aside, this first of a projected six episodes makes a muddled but strong start, pitting its young stone-age protagonist against a ravening, ensorcelled bear. Having learned of an oblique prophecy that describes him as the only one who can take on the unnatural bear who orphaned him—and is wantonly killing the great forest’s denizens—Torak sets out to find three pieces of the Nanuak, or World Soul, that will allow him to enlist the help of the World Spirit. Accompanied by Wolf, an orphaned cub with eldritch knowledge, and Renn, spirited niece of a local clan leader, Torak survives a host of vividly envisioned dangers while displaying outstanding survival skills. Ultimately, he discovers that the bear (probably dispatched in a climactic encounter) had been created by one of a band of evil mages—each of whom will doubtless appear in a subsequent adventure. By the end, readers will have a real feeling for what life in the wild must have been like, and will be looking forward to Torak’s further exploits. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: March 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-072825-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2005
Sarah, who is eight, is filled with excitement as her family plans to travel by wagon from Missouri to Oregon; her best friend, Almira Ann, and her family are moving, too. The girls share everything, including a birthday, on July 4th. Sarah chafes under the constraints of keeping to the wagon as they travel, and finds far more comfort in her father’s dreaminess and her mother’s cheer than in her grandmother’s efforts to keep the family on task and together. A series of vignettes inspired by actual historical incidents brightens this story: the cow rescued by drilling holes in its horns to pull it out of the mud; Lakota coming by to trade items; Sarah’s climbing Chimney Rock herself to scrawl her and Almira Ann’s names there. The impulsive event that affords the book its title happens late, long enough along for readers to feel both the hard work and sacrifice of the journey, as well as its undeniable romance. Sarah’s headstrong personality comes across clearly, as do her efforts to set things right when she’s done wrong. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (map) (Fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-6094-4
Page Count: 119
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1999
Basing the book on true incidents and real people of the Revolutionary War, Kirkpatrick (Trouble’s Daughter, 1998, etc.) recreates the actions of a Patriot spies begun by Robert Townsend and assisted by strong-willed, cool-headed Nancy Strong in the little town of Setauket, New York; Nancy used her clothesline and petticoats to signal the location, spotted by her son, of a whaleboat that would transport a vital letter about British battle plans directly to General George Washington. The complete spy ring route, which carried crucial information from British-occupied New York City to Patriot-held Connecticut, is depicted in a colorful map at the conclusion of the book; the detailed historical notes that follow will intrigue those interested in learning about the strong men and women who were instrumental in changing the nation’s history. Himler’s splendid watercolor paintings illustrate the danger involved in trying to foil the Loyalists and the daily threat of exposure that was faced by the Setauket spies. (map, sources) (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1416-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
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