Kwame Crashes the Underworld

Farmer, Craig Kofi. Kwame Crashes the Underworld. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781250900265.

There are times twelve-year-old Kwame regrets that his grandmother immigrated from Ghana decades ago. Like when he has to visit Ghana, where he stands out like a sore thumb with his general lack of Ghanian cultural awareness, his desire for American food, and his embarrassment at wearing the dashiki his grandmother made especially for him. But he loves his grandmother, who acts as his anchor to a world he does not quite know, so her death shakes him to the core. 

It's been three weeks since her passing, and the family is traveling to Ghana to participate in a celebration of life for her. Kwame doesn't believe there is an afterlife, and he feels really lonely without her stories. On his last night before flying out to Ghana, Kwame spends the night at his best friend's house. Autumn is deaf and wears hearing aids, but the two of them usually communicate in ASL. That night, as Kwame stresses about the upcoming trip and wishes he didn't have to go, he has a strange dream of a being he recognizes as Mother Earth from Ghanan myths, and when he awakens, his hand glows a faint gold. At the same time, a strange monkey breaks into Autum's house and steals Kwame's dashiki before sprinting out again.

Chasing the monkey, which Kwame now recognizes as an aboatia, a mythical monkey from Akan, Kwame reaches the pier, closely followed by Autumn who grabbed a sword Kwame didn't know she had. When Woo the abotia (that's what Kwame named it) jumps into the water with the dashiki, Kwame does not hesitate and follows, with Autumn right behind. Which is when Kwame finds himself in the Asamando, the place where dead Ghanans travel to following their death, in the middle of an election campaign for a new Mother Earth to replace the one who died 12 years ago. There, he encounters his grandmother in a much younger form, and together they set up to unravel a divine plot by nature gods who plan to destroy humanity ...

A great immersive experience in a culture most readers are not familiar with, Kwame Crashes the Underworld is fast-paced and action-packed, and explores such issues as cultural alienation, differently-abilities, intergenerational relationships, identify, and love. 

Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber

 Meyer, L.A. Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber. Book 3 of the Bloody Jack series. 2005. 518p. ISBN 9780152053451. Available at FIC MEY on the library shelves. 

Jacky Faber's stay at the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston was rocky, to say the least, and following her tale in The Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Jacky decides to head back to London and see if she can reunite with the love of her life, Jaimy. First, she must secure passage on a ship leaving Boston and heading back to Britain. She signs on to the Pequod, a whaling ship, where she will serve as a cook's helper, a lady companion for the captain's wife, who is also aboard, and a teacher for their child.

Arriving in London without too much trouble, Jacky is told by Jaimy's family that the young man wants nothing to do with her. A maid informs her that this is a lie, however, and sets to find Jaimy who left for the race track. She reconnects with her old haunts, and finds that Judy, one of the children from her former gang has been forcibly impressed as a washgirl, so Jacky rescues her. At the race track, she sees Jaimy hanging out with a girl, and being hot tempered, Jacky storms off in a huff before Jaimy could tell her the girl was his cousin. 

Jacky is soon captured herself and brought by force onboard the HMS Wolverine to serve as a ship's boy. She reveals she's a girl, hoping she will be put back on land, but the captain decides he will have his way with her. Jacky joins the ship's crew and regains her midshipman's title, but soon finds herself confronted by the captain, who suddenly dies of a heart attack. Finding herself in charge of the ship, Jacky decides to continue waging England's blockade of Continental Europe. Now in command of a ship of the line, Jacky Faber is just getting started!

Watership Down

Adams, Richard. Watership Down. 1974. 429p. ISBN 0-02-700030-3. Available both at FIC ADA and as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Rabbits have complex social lives. Each warren is led by a chief who commands lieutenants. Rabbits fear foxes, large birds, cats, and dogs, but their worst enemy is man. Life consists of eating, playing, sleeping, and telling stories in the comfort of the warren.

Hazel's friend Fiver has always had visions. Born the fifth of a litter, he is smaller than most, but his ability to uncannily predict dangers is appreciated by Hazel. When Fiver has a vision of a catastrophe about to strike the warren, he and Hazel try to warn the chief, but the chief doesn't believe in the solution they are proposing, which is to abandon the warren and immediately move somewhere. Dejected, Fiver announces he will be leaving regardless of the chief's decision. Hazel decides to join him, and together they recruit others and depart that very night.

Traveling through the countryside, Hazel leads the rabbits across a river and to a new land, where they are welcomed by other rabbits that appear well fed. Soon, however, they discover these rabbit harbor the dark secret that the man who feeds them well also often captures one or two of them, and they are never seen again. Hazel and the rabbits depart, not without learning of a good way to design a warren.

Having finally located the perfect spot, the rabbits soon realize they will need female rabbits if they want their new warren to survive. With the help of a seagull, they soon learn the existence of another warren a few miles away that might be willing to help them. However, this warren is led with military precision, and the rabbits are lucky to escape with their lives. Hazel and his friends design a plan to free and abscond with females, but end up being chased back to their own warren, where they are besieged. Fortunately, Hazel, Fiver and the others survive the assault and defeat the opposing forces.

First told as a story for the author's daughter, Watership Down develops the society and culture of the rabbits and shares some of their founding myths and folk history. They display courage and dedication in escaping their conditions and finding a new home. In the process they build a new society where they are more free, and yet at the same time more invested in the survival of their community. Fans of allegory will appreciate the details that make the rabbits seem bigger than life and will cheer as obstacles are overcome.

Dark Shores

Jensen, Danielle. Dark Shores. Book 1 of the Dark Shores series. 2019. 368p. ISBN 9781250317728. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

The Maarin people are seafarers who travel up and down the coast of the Celendor Empire, a continent-wide conquering power. Backed by its powerful legions, the Senate leads with an iron fist. Only the Maarins, who transport valuable goods between distant locations, are exempted from the harsh rules that apply to all Cel citizens, such as taxes and the giving up of the second boy of every family to the legions.

Teriana lives on the Quincense, her mother’s ship. As second in command of the ship, she is also heir to one of the three leaders of the Maarins. When their ship arrives in the capital in time for the election of the next Consul, she realizes that all is not well in Celendor. Two full legions have gathered on the outskirts as one of the candidates plans a power play.

Marcus commands one of the two legions, the 37th. This is the Empire’s blood-thirstiest legion and is known to have massacred a whole island, enslaving over 160,000 people and glutting the slave markets. Cassius, one of the senators running for the post of Consul, blackmails him into voting for him with his entire legion otherwise he will reveal Marcus’ secret of being an ill first son who was swapped in favor of his  younger brother. Not wanting to bring ruin to his family, Marcus agrees.

Cassius then proposes to send Marcus, his legion and the 41st to the other side of the world on Maarin ships. The Maarins, much like Marcus, have secrets they wish to hide, and one of them is that their trade routes take them to another vast continent across the ocean. They protect this secret with their lives, but a mistake on Teriana’s part has revealed this information to Cassius, who now wishes to direct imperial forces to seize these new lands.

A pariah to her own people, Teriana is forced to act as a guide to Marcus and take his forces across a watery magical way to a continent where people still believe in gods and where these very gods play an active role in the lives of their people. With secrets upon secrets, Teriana and Marcus become involved in a deadly dance where they both need each other to survive the journey and free the Maarins, but only at the cost of enslaving a whole continent....

The Count of Monte Cristo

Dumas, Alexandre. Illustrations by Nokman Poon. The Count of Monte Cristo. Part of the Manga Classics series. 2017. 401p. ISBN 978-1-927925-61-4. Available in the graphic section of the library.

At nineteen, first mate Edmond Dantes happily had it all. He was soon to become captain of the ship Pharaoh after the accidental death of its captain. He was about to marry the beautiful Mercedes. And he was financially supporting his father through carefully managing his money. Unfortunately, three men conspire to undermine his life. Danglars, a jealous rival for the position captain, wants Edmond removed so he can become captain instead. Fernand Mondego, Mercedes’ cousin, wants Edmond gone so he can gain her affections. The two of them hatch a plan to have Edmond arrested on his wedding day by incriminating him in a plot to help Napoleon return to France. The royal prosecutor, De Villefort, becomes the third man involved in the conspiracy when he discovers that the letter that Edmond carried was destined to his own father in Paris. Edmond’s fate is sealed, and he is sentenced to prison at the Chateau d’If.

Finally escaping from solitary confinement after fourteen years but having been educated by a fellow prisoner, Father Faria, Dantes vows vengeance on those who wronged him. Upon his death, Father Faria had given instructions to Edmond to locate a treasure, which he uses to transform himself into the Count of Monte Cristo, a fabulously wealthy man who inserts himself in the Paris social scene with one goal: to trap and exact his revenge on Danglars, Mondego, and De Villefort, his enemies.

Artfully condensed from the original French version at over 1,200 pages, this graphic novel loses none of the central plot and focuses on the Count’s carefully planned ruin for his enemies. Beautifully illustrated, fans of graphic novels, historical stories and of suspenseful tales will appreciate how Edmond wreck the lives of those who harmed him. For a similar classic in English, take a look at Wuthering Heights, where Heathcliff wrecks violence on those who harmed him.

Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares

Copling, Steve. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares. Book 1 of the Sage Alexander series. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9781612549422. Available at FIC COP on the library shelves.

Sage has heard all his life from Leah, the fairy that guards him, that he is the boy of prophecy, who will save humanity from the perils of the seven Princes of Hell, also known as the seven deadly sins of envy, greed, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath. Unfortunately for him, no one else in the world sees Leah. Growing up was thus very hard, with Sage constantly talking with someone his mother, father, and brother Nick could not see. Thinking him delusional, Sage had to undergo treatments and eventually had to deny that Leah even existed. Despite her best efforts to train him, Leah has thus far failed to adequately prepare the boy for the role he is called to play.

Sage knows he is not alone in the world. There are others like him, members of the Council, who seek to vanquish the Princes. But he has never met any of them. Most descendants of angels and humans relationships possess one Trait, a power they can use to defeat the dark hordes. A few are blessed with two Traits, while only one or two individuals throughout history have had three Traits. Sage will eventually have all of them. Right now he has Pathfinder, the ability to track and see Where the Dark ones have travelled, and Fighting Arts, which make him a deadly sword fighter. However, Sage has not taken his training seriously, and has been slacking the last few years.

His father has been working on a large business deal and has been absent for most of the year, creating marital strains and harming his relationship with his kids. All he can talk about is this deal, that will set up his family financially. When he returns from one such trip, Sage is startled to see his face turning golden, and small wings sprouting from his back. Suddenly Sage realizes that he has just acquired Clarity, the ability to see clearly the Dark Ones and their influences. His father clearly is under the sway of Mammon, Prince of Greed. All of the tales that Leah have told him are true, and now Sage is unprepared to protect his family. When people around him are revealed to also work for the Council, Sage is assuaged that he is not going crazy, but none of them are willing to help him save his father. Alone, except for his guardian fairy, Sage decides to embark on a quest to find the thirty-two Council members who have disappeared in the last thousand years. Saving them from the Dark Ones would provide him with an army to assist him. Yet the road is fraught with dangers, and ultimately Sage will be the one who must confront Mammon in a battle only one will survive...

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. 2011. 227 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

The age of exploration seemingly came to an end when the South Pole was reached in December 1911. Sir Ernest Shackleton had dreamt of being the first one there, but with Roald Amundsen’s team getting there, followed soon after by the Scott expedition, there seemed nothing left to do. Shackleton and his backers decided then to be the first ones to cross Antarctica on food and with dog sleds. With England at war with Germany, the expedition almost did not happen, but the prestige of the country demanded it. Aboard Endurance, a ship specially designed to sail the ice-covered waters of the southernmost continent, 28 sailors, researchers, and scientists embarked on what became a story of survival and triumph over nature.

Despite being summer in Antarctica, ice prevented Endurance from reaching the continent, and before long the ship became encased in ice. With nothing to do, the crew endured and panned on patiently waiting until the following summer. When the ice began pushing against the ship, however, it became clear it would not survive the winter. With only three small boats, the crew had to make a hard decision. Should they attempt reaching the continent, or should they sail back to the closest land, Elephant Island, some 600 miles across the most treacherous and dangerous seas? Shackleton and his crew abandoned the expedition and managed to arrive on Elephant Island. Shackleton himself and five crew members then boarded the sturdiest of their three small craft and sailed 800 miles across open seas to South Georgia, to reach a human settlement and organize a rescue of the people left on Elephant Island.

An amazing and true story of survival and heroics, Shackleton’s expedition did not complete its goal of crossing the Antarctic, but they demonstrated that humans can survive the worst that Earth can offer if they work together. Filled with pictures taken during the expedition, this book will be appreciated by fans of harrowing true stories.

The Danger Gang and the Pirates of Borneo!

Bramucci, Stephen. The Danger Gang and the Pirates of Borneo! 2017. 378p. ISBN 978-1-61963-692-7. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

Eleven-year-old Ronald Zupan’s parents are adventurers who have travelled the world in search of artefacts and other precious items. On their long trips away, they entrust Ronald’s wellbeing to Thomas Halladay, their butler, whom Ronald calls Jeeves because all good butlers should bear that name. They have always promised to be back for his birthday, however, no matter where in the world or how busy they are. But today, on his twelfth birthday, Ronald discovers with stupefaction that his parents are, in fact, not here. Something bad must have befallen them.

When the doorbell rings and men from the FIB, the Foreign Item Battalion, begin securing the premises, Ronald knows something bad has happened for sure, for the FIB works for the Liars’ Club, the most cutthroat and outlandish group of villains ever to exist. Led by Zeetan Z, the worst of the worst, this group must be involved with his parents’ disappearance.

Escaping the Zupan mansion with Jeeves and with Charlie, his pet king cobra, who is fond of biting Jeeves, Ronald makes his way to the only ally he can think of recruiting for a daring-do adventure of rescuing his parents at the last scene where they were spotted, Borneo. He goes to Julianne Sato’s house. She is the sword fighter who defeated him at the last sword tournament, preventing him from acquiring his third annual trophy in a row. She readily agrees to help him rescue his parents, though with the condition that she is a full partner in this adventure and not a sidekick like Jeeves and Charlie.

The four of them soon find themselves on a Zupan plane heading to Borneo, where they will face untold adventures, all with the hope that Ronald’s parents are still alive. Can this merry band manage to evade the obstacles and enemies in their path before it is too late?

The Mark of the Dragonfly

Johnson, Jaleigh. The Mark of the Dragonfly. 2014. 400p. ISBN 9780385376150. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Life in Scraptown 16 is hard for Piper, especially since her father left to work in the factories of the Dragonfly Territories and subsequently died. Left alone, young Piper has been eking a living fixing mechanical objects for the other town residents. Every storm that strikes the area brings with it meteor showers. These showers result in odd pieces of technology coming from exotic lands, but they also bring green dust, a deadly substance if exposed to it long enough. It is during one of these storms that Piper finds herself outside instead of the town shelter, looking for her only friend, when she spots a caravan. Soon the caravan is destroyed by meteors.

When the storm abates, Piper explores the caravan and discovers a girl still alive in the wreckage. Her friend having been hurt, Piper returns to town to get help and soon both her friend and the strange girl are brought back. On the girl’s arm is an intricate tattoo, marking her as someone of significance in the Dragonfly Territories. Suddenly Piper’s future looks bright. If she can reunite this girl with her family, surely she will be handsomely compensated!

Piper manages to revive the girl, named Anna. Anna doesn’t remember who she is or where she is from, but she possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the world around her, and she loves to create order out of chaos. Another passenger of the caravan survived, however, and now Master Dolan wants the girl back. Anna doesn’t remember Dolan, but she knows she doesn’t want to go with him. Piper and Anna manage to escape Dolan by boarding the 401, a heavily armored train from the Dragonfly Territories that deliver cargo throughout the continent.

Questioned by Gee, the head security officer aboard the 401, the girls are reluctantly allowed on board due to the tattoo, and the train takes off, eventually heading to the Territories’ capital. Dolan, however, has other plans for Anna and begins chasing the girl across the continent. With a powerful enemy behind them, can Piper, Anna, Gee, and the rest of the 401’s crew protect the train and make it safely to the capital?

A great standalone steampunk novel, The Mark of the Dragonfly is nonstop action and adventure. Fans of Leviathan and Worldshaker need to read this book. Other great steampunk books include Etiquette and Espionage and The Inventor's Secret.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 327p. 665 mins. Available both at FIC TWA the library shelves as an eBook and an audiobook from Overdrive.

Huckleberry Finn enjoys experiencing adventures with Tom Sawyer, because he never knows what to expect. That’s also true of his father, the town drunk who is always looking for easy money. In their prior adventure together, Huck and Tom had earned the significant sum of $6,000 each. Huck’s money has been entrusted with the local judge, and he himself has been placed in the custody of the widow Douglas for the purpose of civilizing him.

Sprung from this dreary existence of Church and learning by Tom, Huck joins his merry gang and spends some time before being captured by his alcoholic father. Taken to a remote cabin until he gets the money for his dad, Huck manages to escape and fakes his own death. He lands on an island in the Mississippi River, only to stumble upon Jim, old slave to widow Douglas. As a runaway slave, Jim can expect punishment or death if he’s caught.

Huck and Jim soon engineer a plan. They will go down the river until the Ohio, then travel northeast until Jim reaches a free state. That morning, though, Huck and Jim notice a boat on the river using dynamite. They are looking for his body! Huck and Jim head down the river, and thus begins a series of adventures that will sorely try Huck and Jim, including escaping hustlers, springing Jim free from prison, bad weather, and memorable encounters as they head down the river.

A classic of American literature, Huck Finn remains controversial for its language use but reflects the era in which it was written. It also proves that despite more than 150 years between the time the book takes place and today, boys will continue to be boys!