Sky Raiders

The first in Mull’s Five Kingdom series begins on Halloween, as sixth-grader Cody and his friends venture into a haunted house and unexpectedly embark on a journey into a world called the Outskirts. This in-between world proves hard to escape. Cody’s friends are captured by slavers, and he must find a way to rescue them and return to Earth. Narrator Nobbs projects a youthful voice appropriate to the characters in the novel. The strong narration of the more descriptive elements of the book provides a nice balance with the emotional states of the characters. However, occasionally the characters voices are indistinguishable from one and another, making it difficult to keep track of who said what. Ages 8–12. An Aladdin hardcover. (Mar.)