Puddlejumpers

Thirteen-year-old Ernie Banks has lived in a Chicago orphanage ever since he was discovered on its doorstep at age three. His origins are a mystery; all he has of his former life is an old baseball card, a strange spiral mark on his heel and an unusual crystal blue acorn that he wears on a string around his neck. As for his current situation, he seems to have taken it upon himself to personally torment Mrs. McGinty, the matron of the Lakeside Home for Boys. As a result, he's been in some sort of trouble ever since he arrived. Mrs. McGinty has finally had enough and suggests handing him over to the Youth Authorities, but the director gives Ernie one more chance to prove himself. He boards a bus to spend three weeks at an Illinois farm. The first person he meets in the small town of Circle, Illinois, is Joey, the zesty, horseback-riding, next-door-neighbor gal. She gives him a lift on her horse to the home of Russ Frazier, his host for the next three weeks. Joey also fills him in on some of the local news, like how Russ had a son who was kidnapped years earlier. The town calls him the Quilt Baby, because all the authorities could find was his quilt laying next to a puddle in the woods. Intrigued, Ernie convinces Joey to help him solve the mystery of the missing child. Unfortunately, Ernie starts getting into trouble all over again and this time drags Joey with him. But all the trouble is worth it; Ernie can hardly believe the amazing creatures he discovers living right below his feet. Puddlejumpers are tiny, magical creatures that stand about 11 inches tall. They dwell below ground, living in harmony with the earth. Sometimes they come to the surface by way of puddles, but not very often. They have to be careful of their enemies, the nasty, evil Troggs, who hunt down and enslave Puddlejumpers. But times are hard, with very few free Puddlejumpers left, and the land is drying up with so little rain. They turn to their ancient prophecy promising help from the Rainmaker to save their lives. PUDDLEJUMPERS is a magical story woven together by Mark Jean and Christopher C. Carlson. They have ignited their imaginations full force, creating a fast-paced tale with an intriguing plot, incredible creatures and memorable characters. Their colorful descriptions bring the story to life, spiced up even more with their bizarre sense of humor ("Even from a distance, Chop could see their bloodshot eyes, scaly faces with puss-filled warts, and coarse hair covering their misshapen bodies. They were so ugly that as he stared at them, his eyes started to burn...Troggs had ten-foot-long tails with a big hairy nostril at the tip, enabling them to smell Puddlejumpers from a great distance."). Jean and Carlson have worked together before, but this is their first middle grade novel. Their quickly growing fan base will be impatiently demanding more collaborative efforts from this talented pair. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and TH

Among the more wondrous aspects of PUDDLEJUMPERS is its storytelling versatility; the narrative deftly catapults a reader from urban landscape to rural farmland, from hardscrabble orphanage to quotidian domesticity, and -- most imaginatively -- from tactile realism to otherworldly (and metaphorically-rich) fantasy. Highly recommended. Suggestion : If you can read the opening chapter of PUDDLEJUMPERS and fail to be compelled to continue, sign up at the nearest I Wouldn't Know Quality Literature If It Hit Me In The Face seminar!

Puddlejumpers is a first-rate fantasy adventure that is on a par with the Spiderwick and Harry Potter series. The plot centers around a kidnapping mystery that leads the two main characters, orphan Ernie and pal Joey, a feisty tomboy, into the secret, watery world of the Puddlejumpers. There are secret caverns, dangerous morphing Troggs, and the hidden world of the Most Dark. And then there are the Puddlejumpers themselves; 11 inch tall water beings that are a completely new "creature creation" in literature. I don't want to be a spoiler; let's just say that you will never look at a puddle the same way again. Both kids in my family loved the pace and the excitement of this book---and the Puddlejumpers!

"Puddlejumpers" is a thrilling mystery and a magnificent tale, and I didn't want it to end. Brilliantly written and conceived, it's full of kidnappings, rescues, daredevil escapes, evil Troggs, Red Grunts and indomitable Puddlejumpers, with a fantastic new and complex young protagonist, Ernie Banks, at the center of all the action. His sidekick Joey is one of the best-drawn young, female characters I've come across, full of conspiratorial spunk. Although this is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, I was surprised to discover that the novel also has great heart. A modern story with a tip o' the hat to the best family classics, this is a book you'll want to keep for the family library and pass down to future generations. Everybody is reading it at my house. A gem of a book. Harry who?

These authors have created a wonderful story which captures all the drama of a young boy, fond of baseball, nearly a juvenile delinquent, alone in an orphanage, and desperately seeking a real home. His magical journey into the underworld is delightful, suspenseful, and draws the reader into his fight for good versus evil. The end of the story is masterfully crafted. The authors finish and do so completely and the reader is pleased to savor it all. The quality of the writing is exceptional. There are only a few young adult books which demand attention, and this is one!