The Kidnap Plot

May 23, 2016
Charlie Pondicherry lives in his bap's (father's) clock shop in an alternate Victorian London shared by humans and fairy tale creatures (snippets from the Almanack of the Elder Folk and Arcana of Britain and North Ireland appear between chapters, describing these beings and their customs). Mr. Pondicherry forbids Charlie from leaving the alley where they live, but when his bap is kidnapped, Charlie vows to find him, aided by a ragtag group that includes a troll who practices law, a pixie on her tithe (akin to a walkabout), and two aeronauts who aren't what they seem. The characters' backstories are revealed as they try to track down the "Sinister Man" who took Bap as part of a larger conspiracy. The fast-paced plot is action-packed but leaves room for Charlie's coming-of-age journey as he discovers his own strengths and comes to terms with his true identity. Debut author Butler's meticulously crafted world springs to vivid life in this first book in the Extraordinary Journeys of Clockwork Charlie trilogy, which should satisfy fans of fantasy and adventure. Ages 8â12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East West Literary.

April 15, 2016
Charlie Pondicherry, a Punjabi-English boy whose life revolves around his father's clock shop, experiences the world entirely through books and stories...but that is about to change.When his brilliant inventor father is kidnapped by a group of sinister men, all they leave behind is a mysterious note signed by the Anti-Human League. Aided by a motley crew of helpmates that includes a troll, an aristocratic pixie, and two chimney sweeps, Charlie races to save his father and foil a plot against Queen Victoria during her Diamond Jubilee. Along the way, Charlie learns that life is far more complicated than the fairy tales he read could have prepared him for. In this first novel of a projected series for children, Butler crafts a multilayered network of societies within and beneath London and a racially diverse cast of characters, none of whom are entirely what they seem. Through the group's exploits in the city, the author makes astute social commentary about the xenophobic attitudes of both 19th-century English society and, by extension, our own. Though the fast-paced action is dizzying at times, the novel's central lesson that kindness is integral to the definition of humanity is solid.Reminiscent of both Pinocchio and The Great Mouse Detective, this novel is tailor-made for young readers who love adventure narratives and steampunk fiction. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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May 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Charlie Pondicherry, the son of an inventor, lives a cloistered life in a back alley of London until his father is kidnapped and he is thrown headfirst into a series of adventures as he tries to rescue him. As Charlie travels through London, he meets a colorful cast of characters and learns that he might not be quite the boy he thinks he is (hint: the spoiler is in the title). The story is action packed and throws readers right in, but the world-building can feel overly busy, particularly since this version of steampunk London is populated not just by humans but also pixies, trolls, hulders, kobolds, and more, each with their own particular habits, dialect, and political subplots. An open ending promises more to come.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Grades 4-7 Charlie Pondicherry lives in the back roads of London's Whitechapel area, running errands for Bap, his inventor father, and dealing with bullies. Insults and stones fly, with equal accuracy, from schoolmates like Bruiser and from Fathead Wu, who does Bap's laundry. All Charlie wants is adventureto meet dragons and trolls and to captain a pirate shipbut even in this alternate London, full of clockwork creatures and devices, true adventures are few and far between. When Bap is kidnapped by a Sinister Man and the creepy Anti-Human League, Charlie takes it upon himself to mount a rescue. With unlikely help from the thieves Heavenbound Bob and The Snake, Charlie uncovers a plot to replace Queen Victoria and blame it on Bap, who, it turns out, has a shocking secret identity. In between chapters are snippets from the Smythson Almanack, detailing the sorts of fantasy creatures (trolls, pixies, kobolds) that Charlie sees on an average day, a nice touch that makes for an interesting addition to an already engrossing story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)