Rise of the Queen — Stephen Jones

Gr 6-9- Charlemagne Mack, a 12-year-old African American, is an honors student in a poor part of The City. She lives with her uncle and aunt until the day a giant spider named Miss Lettie comes through her bedroom window to warn her that she is in grave danger. Charlemagne escapes to Louisiana and is surprised to discover that she is not simply an above-average student to whom odd things sometimes happen, but is instead Queen of the Sky Conjuring People. She learns to deal with her new identity, ruins the plans of some very bad, bad guys, and learns about her family. The story doesn't end in a cliff-hanger, but it is the first of a planned trilogy. It is somewhat puzzling that the author chose to present the story in a journal format given that there's virtually no break in the action for Charlemagne to write and the narrative is dialogue heavy. Still, Charlemagne is a nicely fleshed out character. She uses plenty of street slang when she speaks, but writes her journal without it. This book definitely helps to fill a gap in fantasy/science fiction featuring strong African-American characters. However, the cover art is not at all appealing and hand selling will be necessary. Purchase where Troy Cle's The Marvelous Effect (S & S, 2007) has been a hit.-Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.