cover image Eight Days of Luke

Eight Days of Luke

Diana Wynne Jones. Greenwillow Books, $12.95 (150pp) ISBN 978-0-688-08006-8

David dreads the upcoming holidays. Usually it means he is sent to camp or on an educational tour. This year, things are worsehis great-aunt and -uncle are confused about the last day of school and must cancel their own trip because they haven't scheduled something for David. Even worse, David finds that he can't seem to do anything right, and is constantly in trouble. Then, while playing in the garden, David unleashes unseen forces from another world; only with the help of the mysterious Luke can he send the forces back to the earth. Summer becomes more interestingLuke can charm David's relatives into letting them do almost anythinguntil David learns that the forces he freed are beyond his control. Loosely based on Norse mythology, this story is a smooth blend of myth and reality, a task that Jones ( A Tale of Time City ) performs with ease and assurance. Ages 12-up. (September)