When the Clock Struck Thirteen

Every day, every hour, the iron boy struck the bell with his silver hammer. At one o’clock, he struck it once, at two o’clock, he struck it twice, and so on. One night, though, at midnight, he struck the bell thirteen times. And suddenly, he was free. He wanted to be alive, so the magician who owned the house with the bell, where he’d stood for so many years, sent him to the Country of Zorn, in which he could find the Silver River. If he bathed in the Silver River, he would become alive.

When the Clock Struck Thirteen by Sheila McCullagh is a children’s picture book, designed to teach young children to read. On the left-hand pages are longer sentences with more complicated words, intended for parents to read, while the right-hand pages contain shorter, simpler sentences, intended for children to read. Eventually, the children can be expected to read the entire book, themselves.

The idea of a book that is designed to be read collaboratively by parent and child seems like a good one, to me, and this book seems a good example of it. The part of the story on the left-hand pages is just a bit more difficult to read than the part on the right hand pages, providing a gentle step up in difficulty for children learning to read.

The story is continued and concluded in the remaining four book in Stage 4 of the Puddle Lane reading program, which, sadly, I do not own. The story in this one is quite incomplete, ending just as the boy leaves the magician for the Country of Zorn. Perhaps I’ll acquire the others someday, so I can see how it ends.

I’d recommend When the Clock Struck Thirteen to parents looking for something to read with their children, and if this book is any indication of the quality of the other books in the series, then they would be well worth acquiring, as well.

Return to Exile

All Sky’s life, his family has been moving from place to place, never staying long enough for him to make real friends. So, his best friend is his monocle-wearing uncle Phineas, who has taught him to solve puzzles and set and elude traps, and attempted to teach him botany. He has also taught Sky more esoteric knowledge–of monsters, and how to hunt or avoid them.

Sky’s parents have always insisted that monsters aren’t real. Now that they are moving back to Exile, where his parents lived before he was born, Sky will discover just how real monsters are, and some secrets about himself, as well. Pity that the worst monster of all the Arkhon, will be released on the world in just three days, unless Sky can find a way to stop it.

Return to Exile by E. J. Patten is a middle-grade fantasy novel, the first book in The Hunter Chronicles. It’s filled with fantastical monsters and exciting adventure, and characters with plenty of secrets of their own. With his uncle missing, Sky must decide who to trust and solve the riddles his uncle left for him, if he’s to find Phineas and prevent the Arkhon from escaping its prison.

Patten is a bit wordy, initially. The first few chapters read like he was trying a bit too hard to make an impression, rendering the first few dozen pages something of a chore. Once the story picks up, though, you’ll find it hard to put the book down. There are mysteries and problems to solve right up until the end, and there’s always enough going on to keep you interested.

The world of Return to Exile is very well-realized, with a variety of monsters, plants (some monstrous), and monster hunters, forming a coherent world and history. If anything, Patten has created a world that’s too interesting–I found myself wishing that I could read some of the in-universe books like The Evil Echo of Solomon Rose, so as to learn more about the history of the world. Hopefully, we can look forward to more details in future entries in the series.

Return to Exile is a great middle-grade fantasy book. It goes on sale September 6, 2011 in both hardcover and electronic formats.

Disclosure: This review is based on a free advance reader’s copy.