Curse of the Boggin (aka Surrender the Key)

October 3, 2016
Ghostly visitations, a bull attack, and a mysterious key are just a few of the elements MacHale (the Pendragon series) uses to creepy effect in this first book in his Library series. After seventh-grader Marcus O'Mara sees the ghost of Michael Swenor, a recently deceased New York City firefighter, he travels from Connecticut into the city to learn more, but he's shadowed by a menacing woman who tells him to "surrender the key." Swenor's widow gives Marcus the key in question and reveals that she knew Marcus's deceased biological parents. The truth about their deaths and the identity of the threatening woman lie in the Library, home to paranormal "disruptions"âin-progress, real-life stories. Enlisted as a library agent, Marcus attempts to "complete" Swenor's story, aided by best friends Lu and Theo, who round out an entertaining, quick-thinking, and racially diverse trio of heroes. Parental conflicts and school struggles add additional depth, but it's the eerie and enticing supernatural world that Marcus finds himself wrapped up in that will keep readers glued to this tense, fast-paced story. Ages 8â12. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates.

Marcus O'Mara's world is turned upside down when he begins to see frightening apparitions while at school serving detention. The ghostly sightings increase as the white 13-year-old discovers that he is being hunted by a mysterious old woman. She confronts him, demanding that he "surrender the key." Unable to turn to his adopted parents, who he feels hate him, Marcus shares the haunting visitations with his two closest friends, Lu, an Asian girl with a roller-derby aesthetic, and Theo, a buttoned-up black boy. (Marcus reflects, "It would be a grand slam if we had a Hispanic friend. Or maybe a Tongan.") Following clues left by a ghost in a bathrobe, Marcus learns of his secret connection to an ancient curse, one that leads him to a doorway to which he is the only keyholder. This doorway leads to a library of unfinished stories of the dead. Marcus must find the answers to keep his loved ones from harm, and that means opening the door to the shadowed past of his birth parents. MacHale deftly pulls readers into this page-turning adventure, well-choreographed chapter transitions defying them to put it down. The likable, feisty Marcus narrates, following a prologue that sets up the rest of the book. Readers will be rooting for this tenacious kid as he keeps a steady head and stays just a step or two ahead of creepy beings conjured from a supernatural world. (Fantasy. 8-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Feisty Marcus O'Mara isn't afraid to do what's right. He takes a stand against his bullying teacher and earns himself several days of detention. While in detention, Marcus spies a ghostly man clad in pajamas and, more disturbingly, a raging bull trashing the school's trophy cases. Unfortunately, his principal cannot see the bull, nor is there any evidence of the damage that Marcus witnessed. Instead, he earns himself more detentions and the wrath of his adoptive mother, who really seems to hate him lately. After a second sighting of the pajama-clad ghost and being told to "surrender the key," Marcus intends to solve this mystery. He is a self-described outsider with just two good friends, Lu, who is into roller derby, and Theo, who is "straight-A smart." Once Marcus gets his hands on the key, he discovers it leads to a mysterious library curated by an odd, old librarian, filled with unfinished stories of the dead. The boy is tasked with finishing the story of a man in pajamas who happens to have a connection to his birth parents. Middle grade readers eager for horror will find many scary thrills in this cinematic page-turner with a diverse cast of characters. MacHale knows how to ratchet up the suspense as the likable narrator and his best friends pool their talents in an effort to fight an ancient enemy. VERDICT This spine-tingling series starter is sure to attract a quick following of fans eager for the next installment.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Grades 4-7 A disturbing hallucination at school becomes just one aspect of new reality for 13-year-old Marcus. He's seeing ghosts and battling a malevolent spirit that threatens him, his family, and his friends in hopes that he will relinquish the Paradox key. Placed in any door, this old-fashioned key creates a portal to the Library, a repository of finished and unfinished stories in which supernatural forces create disturbances in the world. Though recent friction at home makes it hard to ask his adoptive parents for help, Marcus can always count on his friends Theo and Lu, who stick with him despite their terror. In the engaging first-person narrative, Marcus disarmingly says of his two best friends, we looked like the cast of some kids' show trying to cover all its ethnic bases. This novel tells a compelling tale, while setting up the framework for a longer story arc. Readers who love action and adventure, lightened with a bit of humor, will look forward to meeting Marcus, Lu, and Theo again in the Library series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)