Troubletwisters

March 7, 2011
In this enjoyable romp, first in a planned series, 12-year-old twins Jaide and Jack Shield, who have just had their house blown up under mysterious and possibly magical circumstances, are unceremoniously shipped off to spend time with their eccentric Grandma X. There, they soon discover that they are "trouble-twisters," apprentice magicians just coming into their powers and, thus, wildly dangerous. Grandma X's job is to train them and to keep them safe both from themselves and from "The Evil," a monstrous force from another universe that is trying to conquer our world by telepathically taking over individual creatures, melding them into what looks like "a giant worm... made up of rats and cockroaches and red ants and other nameless insects, all with white eyes and all stuck together, crawling and writhing like a single creature." When "The Evil" proves stronger than expected, the twins are left to defeat the monster unaided. Although not a particularly original offering in the "magical children destined to take on powerful foes" genre, it should still prove satisfying to a wide range of middle school readers. Ages 8–12.

September 15, 2011
Grades 4-7 Twelve-year-old twins Jaide and Jack are nothing short of astonished when their mysterious father's reappearance blows up their house, and their mother quickly spirits them away to stay with Grandma X, whom they have never even met, while their house is rebuilt. Strange things begin to happen with both twinsJack can see in the dark and nearly disappear, while Jaide feels that she is almost able to flyand they can't help but wonder if Grandma X is responsible. But when foreboding voices try to convince the twins to join their ranks, they realize that Grandma X may be their only hope in resisting the Evil. Full of adventure and the unexpected, the first book in Nix and William's new series is delightfully twisted. The pacing is perfect, the setting is eerily dark, the faceless Evil rings true, and the resolution is satisfying. Especially suitable for reluctant readers, this title would be a great choice for Percy Jackson fans, who will clamor for the next installment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)