First Light

I bought this for my grandaughter and decided to read it myself first. I know she will love it, because I couldn't put it down. I read it in one night. The author, Rebecca Stead, used to read Madeleine L'Engle books when she was younger, and uses bits of her books in the dialogue. I loved Madeleine's books as a child and this brought back good memories. The story is of a culture that existed under the earth for many generations, and 2 kids find their way to the surface. They meet another boy and life is never the same again. You must read this, no matter how old you are. It will make your day! And then you must get her other book, "When You Reach Me". They are both awesome books for 5th graders & up.

Sometimes I stop myself in the middle of the day and think random thoughts. Thoughts like, "Why am I so freaked out by pigeons with deformed feet?" or, "Is there a logical reason why grass never became a delicacy?" and even, "Did I like science fiction as a child?" That last question pops up more than the others, maybe because it's worth pondering from a contemporary marketing/librarian standpoint. The conventional wisdom will tell you that science fiction for kids doesn't sell. Of course, dig a little deeper beneath that statement and you'll find exceptions to the rule. Bruce Coville's My Teacher Is an Alien series, Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time or The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau all come to mind. DuPrau's book is the best example of a successful science fiction novel (what with the movie and all) and it seems appropriate to mention it in terms of the most recent title I just read. "First Light" by Rebecca Stead is a meticulous melding of science fiction, ecological fact, and crisp storytelling. Melding global warming and DNA, and set against a magnificently chilly backdrop, Stead creates a cohesive, gripping story without allowing her book to fall apart into incomprehensible goo. Two kids. Two lives. First of all you have Peter. He's happy enough living in New York City, but when his dad informs the family that they're taking some months off to join him on his expedition to Greenland, the kid is seriously excited. It's a pity that he's been getting these headaches though. They're not serious or anything, but once in a while Peter finds that if he looks at something far away he can suddenly zoom in on it like there's a telescope inside of his eyes. That problem has nothing on Thea's, though. Thea lives in Gracehope, a civilization of ice, skating, and dogs. Her home is in the center of a glacier and it is there that her people have survived for hundreds of years, purposefully hiding from the outside world. Thea is convinced that there must be a way out of Gracehope since the population is booming and supplies are running low. Unfortunately, her grandmother (and ruler of Gracehope) forbids any research into the matter. Yet soon enough Thea takes a chance and runs into Peter, leading to the discovery that their lives and pasts are oddly and inexorably linked. Quite frankly, I just liked the writing. It's interesting and to the point without forgetting to get a little descriptive now and again. For example, when Peter considers his father's experience in the Arctic as opposed to his scholarly methodical university self, it occurs to the kid that being the son of such a man, "was a little like living with Clark Kent but never once getting to meet Superman." Larger overarching themes are treated with a similarly deft hand. I liked Stead's handling of Peter's mother's depression. It's a difficult topic, and it would be all too easy to turn his mom into a villain when she's not feeling well. Instead, you have the

First Light by Rebecca Stead is told by two narrators. The first, Peter, is the son of a glaciologist and a genetic scientist. He is thrilled when his parents decide to take him on an expedition to Greenland, where they will be studying different aspects of glacier ice caps and the effects of global warming. Thea, the other narrator, lives in a city underneath the ice in Greenland, called Gracehope. Thea and Peter meet accidentally and without warning, the two worlds collide in what could be disaster. The novel was a bit slow in the beginning, but picked up in pace and excitement towards the middle. The was very reminiscent of Jeanne DuPrau's City of Ember books, though I almost liked the setting in First Light better. It has been said that people can really survive surrounded by ice...so who knows if there really is a Gracehope out there! :-) I was a little disappointed in this title, though I very much enjoyed it...it just wasn't quite as fabulous as everyone has said. I think that's why I would much rather read a book before so many other people get their hands on it, that way my view isn't skewed and I don't get my expectations too high! At any rate, I still enjoyed the book, it was well written and I look forward to seeing other works from this author.

If you liked City of Ember, here is the next book to pick up. A great first book, and a wonderful story. And for those who like fantasy without a lot of fantasy creatures and magic, even just for a change, this is one of your few choices. It is a great piece of writing when you can get that otherworldly feel within the confines and rules of this world. Hope they look at this for a Prince Award. Michael Sullivan ([...])

Rebecca Stead's FIRST LIGHT tells of Peter, who is to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland to study global warming when a series of visions frightens him. Thea has never seen the sun, and her people have retreated to a world inside the arctic ice. The two find their lives entwined by Peter's search for the truth.