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The Taker and the Keeper Reviewed By Wendy Thomas Of Bookpleasures.com
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Wendy Thomas

Reviewer Wendy Thomas. Wendy lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband and six children, ages 9-17 and has been published in various regional magazines and newspapers. She writes a weekly column, Simple Thrift for the Nashua Telegraph.

 
By Wendy Thomas
Published on October 21, 2009
 

Authors: Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin
Publisher: Chiron Books
ISBN 10: 1-935178-03-2:  ISBN 13: 978-1-935178-03-3

The Red Monocle Series is the next logical step for kids who have loved but outgrown the The Magic Tree House stories.


Authors: Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin
Publisher: Chiron Books
ISBN 10: 1-935178-03-2:  ISBN 13: 978-1-935178-03-3

Click Here To Purchase The Taker and the Keeper (The Red Monocle)

The Red Monocle Series is the next logical step for kids who have loved but outgrown the The Magic Tree House stories.

One day Gregory (a seventh grader) discovers that when he puts on a red monocle he finds in a discarded box of school supplies, he can see a tunnel that is otherwise not visible. He enters the tunnel but then returns when a boy on the other side attacks him.

After this experience, Gregory and his friend Yolanda (eighth grade) both realize that the world suddenly seems different, people are cranky, students are being rude to teachers, and stories (like the Tale of King Arthur) are suddenly missing from books.

Gregory tells Yolanda about the tunnel and by trying on various eye lenses she is also able to see the tunnel. He convinces her to join him as they explore it. What they find is that the tunnel is a “wormhole” which transports them to another time period, in this case Merlin and young Arthur’s time, where it appears if matters are not made right by finding the missing sword for the stone, that the future will be altered and chivalry will cease to exist.

Throughout this adventure the pair is guided by an eccentric Science teacher, Ms. McDougal who talks in riddles and was the one who invented the wormhole seeing devices.

The Taker and the Keeper is an interesting take on time travel with current, smart youths. Complete with good guys and bad guys, the tension mounts as the children are thwarted again and again in their quest. The subjects of Merlin and Arthur are endearing topics and will be sure to catch any young reader’s attention.

With moments of clever dialog and bits of humor, the pace of this story moves along quickly as the two children try to “set things right” before returning home. The writing is appropriate for children and includes dialog that is realistic for modern teens. It’s also nice to see a female character as the intelligent, book-smart expert of the pair.

The Taker and the Keeper is the first book in The Red Monocle Series. The next book returns them to Arthurian times and the third book will take them to West Africa where they will meet the spider-man Anansi.

Pat Perrin and Wim Coleman are a married couple who have been writing books together for more than two decades. They’ve collaborated on many works for adults and younger readers, including fiction, nonfiction, plays, and essays. Wim is an award-winning playwright and poet, and Pat has won awards for her visual art.

 Click Here To Purchase The Taker and the Keeper (The Red Monocle)