August 24, 2015
In this first book in the Secrets of the Pied Piper trilogy, Cody (Villainous) seeks to answer some of the mysteries surrounding the famous legend. Did it actually happen? Who was this enigmatic piper? And what became of the children he led away? The book opens with 10-year-old Carter and his older sister, Max, reacting very differently to their trip to the German town of Hamelin, where their father is researching the folktale. Despite his clubfoot, Carter wants to explore with his sister, while Max would rather sulk and dye her hair pink. After the siblings are magically transported to an enchanted island where the long-missing children from the tale still live, they must embark on a perilous journey to fulfill a prophecy in hopes of returning everyone home. Shifting among various characters’ perspectives, this engaging story introduces a world filled with human-size rats, magicians, kobolds, elves, ghosts, and more. Cody weaves an inventive fantasy that spans time and space in its exploration of the lighter and darker sides of magic. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary.
July 15, 2015
While accompanying their father on his research trip to Hamelin, Germany, 13-year-old Max and her 10-year-old brother, Carter, find that the Pied Piper is not just a fairy tale, but a very real and present danger. Max is bitter toward her father for dragging them away from their home in New York City to research obscure fairy tales. Carter is the opposite. Refusing to be coddled because of his braced leg or taken in by his sister's teenage angst, Carter approaches their trip as an adventure. But when a mysterious, pipe-wielding "pest control professional" arrives and lures them through a mirror and into a land called the Summer Isle, where nothing ever ages or dies, it will take both Max's stubbornness and Carter's optimism to survive and make it home again. J.M. Barrie, the Brothers Grimm, and Lewis Carroll all inform this modern twist on a familiar fairy tale. Unfortunately the intriguing premise is much like the Peddler's Road that the siblings must follow: winding and confusing. Monsters, magic, and mystery await readers willing to stick to the path, but the obstacles of a confusing plot might prove too much for any but the most determined traveler. A muddled and meandering series opener; perhaps things will coalesce in Book 2. (Fantasy. 8-12)
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October 1, 2015
Gr 4-7-Max and Carter reluctantly join their folklorist father on sabbatical in Hamelin. Yes, that Hamelin. So savvy readers won't express too much surprise when a flood of rats descends from the kitchen vent and the mysterious exterminator who comes to fix the rodent problem actually lures the pair to a fantastical land called the Summer Isle. There, Max and Carter discover a walled village built by the 130 children led away in the familiar Pied Piper tale, a group desperately working to defend themselves against an array of nefarious magical beings who populate the rest of the Isle. In Will in Scarlet (Knopf, 2013), Cody reimagined the Robin Hood legend with verve and charm, focusing on a young protagonist. In this first book of a projected trilogy, Cody attempts a similar feat on a more ambitious scale, meshing contemporary and historical characters as well as folkloric creatures from multiple European traditions. An endearing, resourceful team-the siblings plus three medieval Hameliners-undertake a treacherous journey across the Isle, during which Cody ably delineates each character's personality to yield distinct perspectives on their quandary. In a loving yet complicated sibling dynamic, older sister Max struggles to concede responsibility for her goofier brother, who handles his physical disability with stubborn aplomb. Juggling a squad of children, a Piper-opposing wizard (the titular Peddler), and a prophetic map, Cody's saga furnishes much pleasing kerfuffle but sometimes feels frustratingly diffuse. The ending sets up an obvious path for book two, and while many elements of this book augur rip-roaring sequels, readers may wish that the first had provided more narrative focus and a firmer resolution. VERDICT This opener assembles a promising collection of characters and fairy tale elements but leaves the motley components scattered a smidgen too wide.-Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2016
In this series-opener, the Pied Piper transports Max, nearly thirteen, and her brother, ten-year-old Carter, from modern-day Hamelin to the magical Summer Isle, where the stolen children of Hamelin circa 1284 have been living in endless youth. The siblings' quest to escape features thrilling encounters with both new and familiar fairy-tale faces. Cody's perceptive portrayal of Carter's mobility impairment is especially notable.
(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)