Page

At the royal palace of Tortall, Keladry is now a young page and is still the only female who is training to attain the rank of squire. Narrator Bernadette Dunne ably portrays Kel as a tough girl handling swords at training practice, fighting bullies in dorm halls, and facing her first battle with bandits. When adolescence brings Kel unexpected and uncontrollable bodily changes, Dunne is equally adept at capturing her emotional confusion. The story's male characters far outnumber the females, and Dunne has quite a challenge creating distinct voices for the supporting roles. She doesn't always succeed, but that doesn't matter. Her portrayal of Kel is as strong as the steel of a squire's sword. M.M.O. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

February 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-Though Keladry has the courage and determination necessary to be a page, shes the only female among the teens and tweens training to become knights in this novel (Random, 2000) by Tamora Pierce. Mixing magic and medieval settings, the author continues the series begun with First Test (Random, 1999). Her year is off to a busy start when she unexpectedly adds a stray dog and a timorous maid to her list of responsibilities. Both prove loyal and caring as do her friends. The young noblewoman is not afraid to challenge her taunters when they harass her or haze first year students. After a brawl gets them all in trouble, practice with swords, axes, and spears keep them all too tired to rekindle the fight. Over the next three years, serving at the midwinter feast teaches courtly manners and summer treks develop tactical skills. When Keladry and several friends are attacked, she shows her leadership gifts and saves the group from almost certain death or capture. Keladry grows into a young woman now drawn romantically to old friend Neal. On the day of the final page test, Keladrys maid and dog are kidnapped and choosing to rescue them displays her inner strength. Bernadette Dunne narrates with smooth assurance, giving even minor characters distinctive voices. While theres enough adventure here for guys, Keladrys concerns about getting her period and developing a feminine physique make Page appealing to girls facing the same issues.Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.