THE CONCH BEARER

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, .. S&S/Aladdin, $5.99 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-689-87242-6

A 12-year-old living in India offers a beggar his ration of tea and pooris and finds himself on a mission to return a sacred conch shell to a Himalayan community of Magic Healers. In a starred review, PW called this "an exotic novel in which fantasy threads intertwine with spiritual teachings. Young readers can only hope for more from this master storyteller." Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

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