Walter, Jon. My Name Is Not Friday.

Walter, Jon.  My Name Is Not Friday.      Scholastic Press  2016  368   18.99 978-0-545-85522-8 ms/hs  Historical fiction      E-BN

Samuel is a 12-year-old African-American free-born boy living in an orphanage with his little brother. Suddenly one day he is accused of a crime he did not commit and is sold at auction into slavery. He quickly learns that even on a plantation run by a kind and compassionate woman and her son, life can be very unfair and cruel. His one goal in life is to free himself from the plantation so that he can get back to his younger brother and look after him. But before he is able to even think about how this might come about, he becomes embroiled in the lives of the other slaves on the plantation, learning from them the necessities of coping with his new position. The story is very well written, and the reader becomes involved in Samuel’s life as he encounters one shocking event after another. Secondary characters are also very well drawn and appealing. The afterwards, a piece by the author on how he came to write the novel, and a note on the historical setting, add to the appeal of the novel. This one is long and involved, and will appeal to young readers who are genuinely interested in reading a picaresque novel set in the Civil-War South. It is interesting that the author is not American, but the voices in the novel ring true nonetheless. Recommended for older teens who like historical fiction.

Summary: During the Civil War, a free-born Black boy living in an orphanage, is sold into slavery and must find his way to freedom and his brother.           

Civil War-Fiction, Slavery-Fiction                                --Carol Kennedy

Walters, Eric. Fight for Power (The Rule of Three)

Walters, Eric.  Fight for Power (The Rule of Three)  Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2015 346p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-374-30179-8  ms/hs  Conflict  E-BN        

Sixty-six days into an electrical blackout, a community takes out a bridge that would allow others to attack it.  Adam and his family survive, along with others who lived in the Eden Hills neighborhood.  After they have assessed the situation, they go on the offensive and disband the attackers at their home base.  Most days, members of the community will be doing something to help grow food, repair or remodel machines for other purposes, farm, or something similar. It is a struggle to decide who gets what and what to do when people with fewer resources try to get into their fortified community.  The daily struggle with right and wrong is constantly in the forefront for Adam’s mother (a police chief), Herb (ex military), and members of the Council.  The trouble starts when one of their own starts attacking others outside the community.

This story is a fast-paced read with lots of action and conflict.  It is also a story about conviction, as the survivors try to do what they think is right and also survive.  Readers will find themselves turning the pages faster and faster as the intrigue builds.
     

This is the third book in the Rule of Three series, which concerns a world that has lost its power.  Adam and his fortified neighborhood find that ensuring survival and security is not an easy task.         

Post-Apocalyptic fiction                                    --Linda McNeil

The Rule of Three.

Walters, Eric.  The Rule of Three.  Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2014  405p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-374-35502-9  ms/hs   Realistic fiction       E-BN

This is a fast-paced realistic adventure story of how Adam Daley’s neighborhood cooperated in order to survive after a catastrophic computer meltdown.  It appeared to be a normal day at school when suddenly all of the electrical equipment went black.  When students were dismissed, Adam realized this was not a normal electrical outage.  Only old relics of cars (computer-free) like Adam’s were working, and his allowed him to make it home.  “As resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends,” Adam sees true human nature emerge as chaos unfolds.

The Rule of Three:
A person can last:
3 minutes without air
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

Adam’s neighborhood tells a story of cooperation, understanding the needs of others, the ability to share for the greater good, creativity as people strive to adapt old devices for new uses and restructure resources to solve current needs, and people’s willingness to learn long-forgotten skills such as farming to feed the community.  It is a story riddled with explosive fights, friendships and romance, as the neighborhood tries to protect itself from more aggressive groups.  

Summary: This is a fast-paced realistic adventure story of how Adam Daley’s neighborhood cooperated in order to survive after a catastrophic computer meltdown. 

Survival-Fiction, Cooperation-Fiction                 --Linda McNeil   

Walters, Eric. Tagged.

Walters, Eric.  Tagged.  Orca  2013  136p  ISBN 978-1-4598-0168-4  ms/hs  Paperback E-BN  Realistic fiction

The mayor of the city has declared war on graffiti artists, painting over their art as soon as new works are discovered.  Oswald and his friends especially admire the work of “The Wiz.”  They visit new sites and even find pirate art in the art gallery.  When Oswald reveals to his friend, the narrator of the story, that he is “The Wiz,” the trouble starts.  It appears that he has been caught.  The mayor comes to school to personally see Oswald be arrested because of the paint stains on Oswald’s hands.  As other friends hear that Oswald is “The Wiz” and is about to be arrested, they come to his rescue.  They all appear before the mayor with paint on their hands.  The mayor is not pleased.

The writing is spot-on in tone, vocabulary, and topic.  A refreshing Orca title that does not deal with gangs.  Urban readers will fully understand the mystique of graffiti artists who tag their works.  Middle-school and high-school readers looking for an urban quick read will not be disappointed.

Summary: Oswald, a graffiti artist, is rebelling against the establishment by continuing to paint public buildings.  When his identity is about to be discovered, his friends find a unique way to save him.  Middle to high school.       

Graffiti-Fiction                                                  --Joan Theal

Walters, Eric. Between Heaven and Earth. (Seven the Series.)

Walters, Eric.  Between Heaven and Earth. (Seven the Series.)     Orca  245p  $9.95 978-1-55469-941-4       2012  ms/hs   E-BN    Realistic Fiction

DJ is the oldest of seven cousins.  He is a natural leader and very self sufficient.  When Grandpa dies, he leaves a will that gives each cousin the gift of a trip and a task to perform.  DJ is to scatter some of Grandpa’s ashes on the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  At first he hates flying, but he survives three different flights.  Once he is in Africa, all his belongings are stolen, and he has to buy them back with the help of Sarah, the granddaughter of his father’s friend.  Then she insists on being his porter on the climb.  She would be the first female porter, as well as the youngest porter on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

On the climb, DJ finds that his size, which is great for football, could be a problem for climbing a mountain.  He stops each time Doris, a mature female member of the party, needs to stop, but soon DJ has to admit that he needs the stops just as badly as she does.  When others in the group need to be taken down the mountain quickly, DJ, Doris and Sarah disobey the head guide (which he expected) and proceed to the summit. 

DJ learns that he needs to follow directions, eat some humble pie, and accept help from others.

This novel is well written.  The speech patterns of the local Tanzanians sound British.  The action on the mountain shows that the author completed his own climb and knew of what he wrote.  The novel provides enough excitement and action, with some lessons as well.   Seven the Series consists of seven titles, each by a different author, one for each grandson and the special trip/quest he is to undertake.   

Mt. Kilimanjaro–Fiction, Adventure-Fiction                  --Joan Theal