Book Review

M i l O l d e r R e a d e r s

Darkness Everywhere: The Assassination of Mohandas Gandhi. By Matt Doeden. Oct. 2013.80p. illus.Twenty-First Century, lib. ed., $31.93 (9780761354833>. 300. Gr. 7-10.

The subtitle indicates this is a book about the Mahatma's assassination, but it's much more exhaustive. Along with Gandhi's life and social and political legacy, it examines the complicated interplay of competing forces in twentieth-century India, offers a discussion

of India's caste system, and looks at Gan- dhi's contributions to civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance movements. The text draws heavily on primary source material, replete with quotes from the leader himself, from witnesses to his assassination, and from the assassin and coconspirators during their trials. All this is illustrated with some fascinat- ing photographs, including those of Gandhi's family and his time in college in London. Doedon treats the cruel irony of Gandhi's murder in a frank and factual way, delving into the polarizing politics at play at the time, including the movement for an independent

Look for reviews of these high-demand titles in upcoming issues of Booklist. -Gillian Engberg

Dangerous. By Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (9781599901688). Apr. 2014.

The acclaimed, best-selling author takes a new direction in this fantasy adventure, in which an unsuspecting heroine discovers a ter- rifying plot against society-and falls in love along the way.

Desert Tales. By Melissa Marr. Harper, paper, $9.99 (9780062287564). Oct.

In this new companion to the blockbuster Wicked Lovely series, Marr focuses on faery Rika, whose free, isolated existence in the Mojave Desert is transformed by both a king's power and a new romance.

The Edge of the Water. By Elizabeth George. Viking, $18.99 (9780670012978) Mar. 2014.

The second YA title from best-selling adult crime novelist George is the first entry in a new paranormal mystery series set on Washington state's Whidbey Island.

The Inventor's Secret. By Andrea Cremer. Philomel, $18.99 (9780399159626). Apr 2014.

The author of the internationally successful Nightshade series sets her latest saga in the politically charged, invented world of steampunk Britannia.

The Mystery of Meerkat Hill: A Precious Ramotswe Mystery for Young Readers. By Alexander McCall Smith. Illus. by lain Mclntosh. Anchor, paper, $6 99 (9780345804464). Oct.

In this follow-up to The Great Cake Mystery (2012), McCall Smith continues his youth series about the early years of the beloved Botswana sleuth who grew up to run No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

Perfect Lies. By Kiersten White. HarperTeen, $17.99 (9780062135841). Feb. 2014. Sisters Annie and Fia, first met in MintI Games (2013), return for retribution in this

sequel from the best-selling author.

Perfect Ruin. By Lauren DeStefano. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (9781442480612). Oct.

DeStefano, whose Chemical Garden Trilogy titles became New York Times best- sellers, begins a new series with this novel set on Internment, an island in the clouds, where teen Morgan's investigation into a murder leads to romance, political treachery, and the edges of sanity.

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India and the mutual distrust between Mus- lims and Hindus. Though dense with facts, this is, nevertheless, an engaging story and high-interest read. —Erin Anderson

Enrique's Journey: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite witb His Mother. By Sonia Nazario. 2013.288p. Delacorte, $ 16.99 (9780385743273). 973. Gr. 7-10.

In this adaptation of a 2006 adult tide of the same name, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nazario offers young readers a com- pelling account of a modern-day immigration Odyssey Retracing 17-year-old Enrique's trek on foot from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, through Central America atop freight trains, to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and across the Rio Grande on an inner tube, Nazario illumi- nates the plight of thousands of children who desperately seek to reunite with parents who have come to the U.S. seeking higher wages. Nazario's narrative chronicles the profound dangers from gangs and smugglers, extreme kindnesses from clergy and generous souls, and Enrique's enduring courage. Comprehen- sive background notes document Nazario's own journey throughout the trek and her current contact with Enrique, his mother, and additional family members. This power- fully written survival story personalizes the complicated, pervasive, and heart-wrenching debates about immigration and immigrants' rights and will certainly spark discussion in the classroom and at home. —Gail Bush

M i d d l e R e a d e r s

The Boy in tbe Wooden Box. By Leon Leyson and otbers. 2013.240p. Atheneum, $ 16.99 (9781442497818). 940.53. Gr. 4-7.

This powerful memoir of one of the young- est boys on Schindler's list deserves to be shared. Leon Leyson grew up in Poland as the youngest of five children. As WWII breaks out, Leyson's ingenuity and bravery, com- bined with the kindness of strangers arid a bit of serendipity, save his life, time and again. The storytelling can at times meander, and the various reflections of his life in Poland during the war can result in a certain patchiness, but Leyson's experiences and memories still make for compelling reading about what it was like to suffer through the Holocaust. This mem- oir is a natural curriculum addition to WWII units for upper-elementary- and middle- school readers. Be sure to have additional materials on hand about Oskar Schindler, as readers will want to do more research into Leyson's story. —Sarah Bean Thompson

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September 1, 2013 Booklist 65

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