City of Thirst

September 15, 2015
On a second voyage upon the ocean of chaos that spans time and space, Marigold "Marrill" Aesterwest faces evil wizards and a mad king-not to mention friendly, giant bugs and snails, a sideways island, and a worlds-destroying Iron Tide. Astounded but doughty babysitter Remy in tow, Marrill rides the Pirate Stream that rises once again in a derelict Arizona parking lot to happy reunions aboard the privateer Enterprising Kraken with friends from The Map to Everywhere (2014). Driven by (what else?) a cryptic but ominous prophecy, the ensuing quest takes the intrepid crew to a remote archipelago where gravity is strange, through a huge whirlpool to a continually sinking vertical city, and then beyond to perpetually burning lands where schemes of the boundlessly ambitious King of Salt and Sand have come perilously close to fruition. The setting and the large supporting cast are of the "anything goes" sort, and again the authors have concocted both with an adroit mixture of humor and wonder. At the tale's core, however, are a series of internal and external struggles with conflicting hearts' desires, as both allies and adversaries close in on a fantastically dangerous wizardly device that is primed to grant a wish. There are also, just to complicate decisions and emotional states further, issues of trust, friendship, sacrifice, and oh yes, saving our world and all the rest. A fiery climax and a hard choice set Marrill on course for further adventures on the Pirate Stream. Avast! (Fantasy. 10-13)

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November 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 When Marrill receives a message that she is needed in the Pirate Stream, she immediately plots a way to escape her babysitter, Remy, and reunite with her seafaring comrades. But there's trouble on the Enterprising Kraken, and before long, Marrill and her friendsand Remy, who is reluctantly tagging alongfind themselves trapped in Monerva, a city constantly sliding down a wall, completely outside of time, and home to a legendary wish-granting machine. Marrill and Fin hunt for the machine together, but their competing wishes threaten to tear their friendship apart. Ryan and Davis spin a dizzying fantasy world full of bizarre creatures, twisted time lines, and a fascinating geography, and while some plot turns might crumble under close scrutiny, the breakneck pace won't give most readers time to notice. Though Harris' black-and-gray illustrations don't always seem to match up with Ryan and Davis' descriptions, they still add to the adventurous atmosphere. Thanks to some neatly integrated backstory, readers who haven't read The Map to Everywhere (2014) should have no trouble starting with book two.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)