Dark Shade

VOYA - Deborah L. Dubois

Kip lost his parents in a fire and was badly burned during the previous winter. Sixteen-year-old Maggie notices a difference in Kip, and follows him to find out why he disappears into the woods almost every day during the summer. What she learns is that Kip has found a spring that takes him back in time. Maggie is amazed when she follows her childhood friend and ends up in the primeval forest of western Pennsylvania in the year 1758. Kip believes there is nothing for him in the present. He discovers a band of Lenapé Indians who accept him in spite of his scars, and plans to stay with them. Maggie travels back in time to convince Kip that he should not abandon his aunt and grandmother, and possibly alter the course of history by staying in the past. Through learning the ways of another culture, Kip learns to take responsibility instead of running away from his problems and does decide to return with Maggie. This is a compelling time travel fantasy that will satisfy teens' taste for adventure. Curry has woven a story that moves smoothly between the present and past. She shows how the past is connected to the present, influencing the events that will come. Both main characters grow through their experiences in the past and emerge stronger as they return to the present. Most young people will enjoy reading Dark Shade, even if they are not usually fans of fantasy. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written, Broad general YA appeal, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

Children's Literature - Gisela Jernigan

Shy 16 year old Maggie has grown away from her old childhood friend, Kip, since he was burned and lost his parents in a fire. Maggie feels guilty about not being able to help Kip, who more and more is drawn into the frightening but also intriguing past of western Pennsylvania. It is a dilemma and a struggle to try and prevent Kip from escaping his present life by remaining in the past with the Lenape Indians, who inhabited the region during the complex alliances of the French and Indian War in 1758. The true friendship between Maggie and Kip is refreshing. A map is included.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8Maggie, 16, lacks self-confidence, but her problems pale in comparison to those of her friend Kip. Badly burned in a fire that killed both of his parents, he is silent and withdrawn. When Maggie follows him one afternoon, she discovers that he can slip back in time to the days when Indians inhabited the area and the British fought the French. In the woods, she encounters Robbie, a young 18th-century soldier who is suffering from a near-fatal snakebite. As she helps him, she begins to wonder how her actions might impact the future, which is, in fact, her present. Kip, on the other hand, plans to leave his unhappy present life and stay in the past. The action is set against a backdrop of primeval forest and a thriving Lenape Indian culture. As a time-travel fantasy, this works well. Maggie's preparations to enter another time are careful and thoughtful. She does not just trip blithely back and forth in 20th-century garb. Problems with this story exist in the present, however. None of the characters is fully developed. Adults are oblivious or indifferent to what is going on. Readers know little about Kip's inner feelings or emotions. The best developed and most interesting character is Maggie's dog Digby. Also, the denouement depends on meticulous records kept by Maggie's ancestors. While it is convenient for the teens to find old letters and documents dating back to the 1700s, it is highly unlikely that such things would really exist. On the whole, though, this is an enjoyable time-travel story.Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC