Death and Taxes

January 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-The authors continue their story of two African-American superpowered teens during the American Revolution. Former slaves Brody and Graham were endowed with fantastic abilities in The Sons of Liberty (Random, 2010); they have vowed not to call upon their powers again, but when riots break out in Philadelphia, Brody is determined to use them for good. Graham, on the other hand, wants to find Isabel, the girl he left behind when they escaped the plantation, and make their way to Africa. Meanwhile, the Patriots and the Tories duke it out, with villains on every side. With the exception of Brody, Graham, Isabel, and Benjamin Franklin, everyone seems to be out for themselves. This is not a tale of how the American Revolution was full of men who imagined a better future, but instead a depiction of mob violence and brutal retaliation from corrupt officials. Even Graham is morally ambiguous, more concerned about his own plans than about helping anyone else. While the tale seems to be striving toward the principle that those with power have the responsibility to use it for good, at this point in the series, the world is simply a bleak place, and one wonders why anyone would bother to help anyone else. Walker's illustrations beautifully reflect this dark tone, and teens attracted to dystopian fiction may be excited to see that style of story in a historical fantasy.-Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2011
Grades 8-12 Graham and Brody, escaped slaves gifted with superpowers, remain at the center of this continuing preRevolutionary War saga of political intrigue and reimagined history. As Benjamin Franklin seeks to stop the stamp tax from falling on the colonies and enemies attack his good name, Graham attempts to arrange an escape back to Africa along with his love, the slave girl Isabel. With the English aristocracy colonizing new territories of foulness, this lacks any complex shades of gray. However, the embellishments, literate dialogue, and several historical truthseffectively counterpointed with glossy contemporary artkeep things fun and suspenseful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)