Emerald Atlas

Stephens, John. 2011. EMERALD ATLAS. New York: Knopf. ISBN 9780375868702 [Suggested Grade Levels 5–8]

REVIEW

Kate, Emma, and Michael have been bounced from orphanage to orphanage for most of their lives. The children were taken away from their parents in the middle of the night with a promise that they would be together again. What the children don’t know is they were taken to protect them from a magical prophecy and to allow them to grow up to fulfill their destinies.

Despite the children’s upbringing, their spirits have not been broken. Kate is the protector. Since she was four years old, she has followed her mother’s wish of keeping her brother and sister safe. Michael is the studious one. He is well versed on dwarfish history because of the book his father left him. Emma is small but scrappy. She has no memory of her parents, only orphanages. She follows the rule: when you stop fighting, you’re finished. The latest orphanage they are sent to in Cambridge Falls is a strange place. They are the only children there and it is run by an eccentric Dr. Pym. As if their lives weren’t already in turmoil, they find a magical green book that transports them back in time where they must battle to save their lives and quite possibly save the world. THE EMERALD ATLAS is an action-packed fantasy of good against evil that will delight readers of all ages.

CONNECTIONS

Create a writing center with old photographs. Have children write stories involving any of the photographs. What adventure would you have if you went back to the time of the photograph?

RELATED BOOKS

Other books with magic in them:

Funke, Cornelia. INKHEART. ISBN 9780439852708

Rowling, J.K. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. ISBN 9780439064866

By Jane Jergensen