Baucom, Ian. Through the Skylight.

Baucom, Ian.  Through the Skylight.  Simon & Schuster/Atheneum  2013  390p  $16.99  978-1-4424-4482-9 elm/ms      Fantasy      E-BN       

In this story based on One Thousand and One Nights (which I reviewed in its uncorrected proof), Jared, Miranda and Shireen find magical items in an old shop in Venice.  As their father reads to them from an ancient copy of One Thousand and One Nights, the story actually comes alive to the children.  They meet Rashid, Maria and Francesca and help rescue the poor children of medieval Venice who were tricked into starting the Children’s Crusade.  With the help of a cat, a stone lion, a faun and a dragon that the children teach to talk, everyone is safely returned to their homes.
  

This title gives flesh to the concept of immersing oneself in a story and having it come alive as you read.  The author is adept at weaving the Arabian Nights story into the real lives of the characters and making the whole thing seem plausible.  The characters are well developed, with skills, faults and realistic interactions.  The action is well paced and the intertwining of medieval and modern times is especially satisfying.
 

Because I read the uncorrected proof, the artwork was missing or was indicated with quick sketches.  It will be very interesting to see the finished product.  The sketches that are included appear to enhance the text very well.
 

Grades 5-8 will quickly be drawn into this fantasy and will enjoy it immeasurably.       

Fantasy–Fiction, The Arabian Nights–Fiction              --Joan Theal