Archer's Quest

What would you do if a ruler and expert archer from ancient Korea literally crash-landed in your bedroom, bow-and-arrows in hand? That's the shocking—and ultimately illuminating as well as humorous—situation facing 12-year-old Kevin who lives in 1999 Dorchester, N.Y. Trying to untangle who the intruder really is (Koh Chu-mong), how he arrived traveling through time and how to get him back to his kingdom makes for an engaging, if not always logical tale. Luckily, Kevin's affinity for math, plus assistance from his Korean grandparents and the local library, help him put things to right. Chin does a fine job of conveying child-like curiosity, as well as the varying levels of incredulity and culture-clash facing both protagonists. His stilted, fish-out-of-water rhythm for Koh Chu-mong's dialogue early in the recording is spot-on. Ages 9-up.(Feb.)