Night Gate

Night Gate harks back to The Chronicles of Narnia and the works of Madeleine L'engle, to which the author refers in the narrative. The main character, Rage Winnoway, is a twelve-year-old loner trying desperately to save her mother, who has lapsed into a coma following an auto accident. Rage's quest takes her through a mysterious gateway along with several animal companions, all of whom are transformed by the experience and who become involved with a greater adventure to save a magical land called Valley from disappearing. It took a few chapters to hook me, but I ultimately enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the second title in the trilogy, Winter Door. Not without humor, Night Gate nevertheless focuses on serious issues: the nature of love and friendship, what it is to be human and how human thought differs from the mind of animals, how we deal with loss and grief. I would recommend it to good readers Grade 5 and up, mostly to girls with a taste for high fantasy. Recommended by April Curnow, Research and Information Specialist, Maryland USA