Maelstrom

October 16, 2006
In McCaffrey and Scarborough's action-packed, kid-friendly sequel to 2005's Changelings
, Murel and Ronan Shongili, telepathic 10-year-old twins with the ability to change into river seals, rescue the inhabitants of the environmentally degraded planet Halau and bring them to their home world of Petaybee. The sentient planet's adaptation to the refugees provides dangerous adventures for the twins, their friends and their parents, geneticist/selkie Dr. Sean Shongili and former Company officer Yana Maddock-Shongili, coadministrators of Petaybee, who discover an aquatic alien race. Meanwhile, off-planet, the Intergalactic Enterprises Company arrests their friend Marmion, who helped transport the refugees from Halau. A cliffhanger ending, ecological lessons, anthropomorphic animals and simplistic good vs. evil morality will speak to middle-school readers but not adults.

November 15, 2006
Too young to develop the bond with the sentient planet Petaybee, which prevents adults from leaving their homeworld, the shape-changing twins Murel and Ronan Shongili (introduced in "Changelings") serve as ambassadors for off-planet journeys. When a rescue trip to a hostile planet meets with objections from the company overseeing the planet's development, the resulting evacuation of an endangered population takes place under hostile conditions. Once back on Petaybee, the discovery of a heretofore unknown alien race of otterlike creatures poses further problems that only the twins have a hope of solving. Coauthors McCaffrey (the "Dragonriders of Pern" series) and Scarborough ("Powers That Be" trilogy with McCaffrey) continue the ongoing history of the second generation of Petaybee's inhabitants with a story filled with adventure, intrigue, and unexpected twists. Series fans will demand this title, which belongs in most sf collections.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2007
Adult/High School-In this sequel to "Changelings" (Del Rey, 2005), twin selkies use their "thought-talk" and shape-shifting powers to help their sentient planet and its inhabitants. Petaybee, the planet, has invited Ke-ola, a sentient sea turtle, and his people to make their home there. The Petaybeans must convince the Federation to allow such a move. The catch is that the Federation is off-world, and people who live on Petaybee for any length of time acquire a symbiotic relationship with the planet. For an adult to leave would mean death. It is therefore up to young Muriel and Ronin Shongili to be the off-world diplomats who can save lives and change worlds. This is the second novel in a planned trilogy that continues the story made popular by the "Powers That Be" trilogy (Del Rey). The story line combines Irish, Hawaiian, and Indian lore to create a rich history that is at once unique and familiar. Teens will identify with the actions and feelings of these shape-shifting river seals as they struggle with their role in Petaybee's transformation."Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2006
The gripping adventures, begun in " Changelings" (2005), of 10-year-old selkie twins Ronan and Murel, on a mission to rescue a hostile planet's people and settle them on Petaybee, continue. The sentient planet is creating a suitable environment for the settlers and their sacred sea turtles and sharks. Petaybee's waters already host orcas, sea otters, and, deep below an oceanic volcano, an enigmatic alien race. " Changelings"" Maelstrom." Humor relieves the excitement, and fans of Petaybee and its denizens will be delighted, despite a cliffhanger ending that whets anticipation of the final Twins of Petaybee volume.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)