Skip to main content

Troubletwisters







Troubletwisters
by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Scholastic, 2011. 293 pgs. Fiction.



On a stormy day, while waiting for their father to come home, twins Jaide and Jack get a cream-colored envelope in the mail from a grandmother they didn't know they had. Grandma X's message is odd and short: "The cats have been very restless, so I expect I will see you soon." The twins' mother snatches the card from them and tells them to pretend they have never seen it, but when a surgical strike by a tornado levels their house, she has no choice but to send them to stay with Grandma X, where doors appear and disappear and cats talk. Jaide and Jack are troubletwisters who are soon in training to become wardens, but their training is quickly cut short when a Ward fails, Grandma X is overwhelmed, and it falls upon them to use their newly discovered powers to hold back the forces of The Evil (like The Force, but with only the Dark Side). As we have come to expect from Garth Nix, the action here is both thoughtful and breakneck--things proceed according to the logic of this newly-created world, but they proceed quickly. Also, there are lots and lots of roaches and rats raised up by The Evil into even ickier wormy shapes, so squeamish kids (of which there are hardly any in my experience) might want to give this one a miss. Troubletwisters seems targeted to a younger, perhaps more conventional audience than Nix's other books, so this volume--the first in a series--should not only appeal to current fans, but create new ones.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

Review: The Hidden Dragon

The Hidden Dragon By Melissa Marr New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Fiction. 161 pages. Three children, Otter, London, and Sophia, live in a fantasy world with dragons. Otter (short for Ottilie) is the daughter of a ship captain, and she loves the sea and its dragons. London is a stowaway boy, searching for a new life full of adventure. Sophia lives in a thief house with other children, all dedicated to helping each other and trying to make the kingdom better. As trouble begins to brew both on land and at sea, these three heroes realize that maybe it's up to the kids to make things right. Readers experience the book from multiple perspectives, and with a bit of mystery and adventure, this is an amazing fantasy read. With the inspiring message that children truly can make a difference, readers will enjoy how each character fights for what's right, even when it's inconvenient. The ending is resolved a little quickly, but this is a great read for all "hatchlings."

Review: How Does Chocolate Taste on Everest?

How Does Chocolate Taste on Everest? Written by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe Illustrated by Aaron Cushley Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2023. Informational. In this fascinating nonfiction adventure, unique forms of transportation like hot air balloons and zeppelins take readers to 12 of the most extreme locations on Earth and beyond. As the adventurer arrives in each new locale, from Lake Maracaibo--the world's most electric place--to Zavodovski Island--the world's stinkiest place--they are fully immersed into the scene around them. The text describes the distinctive sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and sensations characteristic to each place, supported by the delightful illustrations. Each stop also shares stories of real adventurers braving the elements. Readers big and small will learn something new in this exciting armchair adventure. The real adventurer anecdotes highlight both well-known and less-discussed figures, of diverse backgrounds and abilities. The illustrations provide ev