Night Wings

July 1, 2009
Gr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old Paul Fortune, an Abenaki with a long line of military service in his family, goes to live with his stoic veteran grandfather while his parents are serving in the Middle East. Paul and Grampa Peter have subtle, nonverbal ways of communicating with one another, which comes in handy when bad guys arrive, kidnap them, and force them to search for mythical treasure on a journey up Mount Washington, one of the coldest and most dangerous spots in the northeast. Darby Field, the ringmaster of the group and the sinister host of TVs "Forbidden Mysteries", has specifically sought out Grampa Peter, who is known for his scouting skills and expert knowledge of Native legends, including Pmolas treasure. Although scenes of the large, dark, birdlike Pmola menacing the group are frightening, the real scare here is actually the evil and occasionally violent Mr. Field and his cohorts, who have pillaged cultural treasures around the world. Using Pauls keen birdlike sense of smell and sight, and employing military tactics and strategy, Paul and Grampa ultimately prevail over the villains. The intriguing Native lore, the realistic teen narrative, and cliff-hanger sentences that build suspense at the end of each chapter are signature Bruchac and will captivate readers."Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 Both of Pauls parents have been deployed to the Middle East, leaving Paul in the care of Grampa Peter for at least the next year. A wise elder of the Abenaki tribe, Grampa communicates a lot without saying much at alla skill that comes in especially handy when they spend two days fighting for their lives. The threat comes from Darby Field, the nefarious producer/host of TVs Forbidden Mysteries, who is dead-set on persuading Grampa to lead his crew of cameramen/thugs to the treasure of the mythic winged beast, Pmola. When Grampa refuses, both he and Paul are forced to head up the mountain at gunpoint, and only their wits and nearly psychic relationship will save them from the bad guysnot to mention Pmola himself, who may or may not be more than just legend. Bruchacs fast-moving tale is steeped in Indian lore thatinjects this otherwisestraightforward thriller with a sense of meaning and even spirituality. A perfect book to gobble up in a single, sweaty sitting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)