The Roads of Luhonono: Legend of The East Road by Hamilton Hill

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Publication Date: September 1, 2015

 

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Construction in Lohonono stirs up spirits for 13-year-old Magdalene. With her friends, Peter and Gimbo, Magdalene soon finds herself on a quest to discover the Legend of East Road and uncover the secrets of the witch-doctor and his demons before its too late.

 

The author, Hamilton Hill, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

 

 

 

The Roads of Luhonono is a story that takes middle grade children out of their world and time into a culturally rich story set in Africa in the early part of the last century. The children in the story believe in magic and have a sense of wonder that is age appropriate and, more important, convincing to the reader. When the white tribe starts building roads, the villagers become concerned for their safety. Magdalene discovers that their concerns are legitimate when the ancient spirits speak to her.

Hill isn’t an author that talks down to his readers. I’m sure that its tempting for authors writing to a certain demographic to simply but The Roads of Luhonono has a feeling of a work geared towards being a modern classic. Hill’s writing is sophisticated. He includes a glossary of African words for readers wanting to immerse themselves in a vivid experience.

The children of The Roads of Luhonono have a sense of reality. The novel fits easily in the fantasy genre but Magdalene and her friends are grounded but have that wonder inherent in children when they’re younger. Magdalene is curious without being precocious. She’s trusting without being gullible. She is loyal to her friends and they to her and trusts that they will stand by her side in the face of whatever challenges they meet. Magdalene is a girl that female readers will respect for her intelligence and insight. Gimbo and Peter have the sort of strong friendship seen in classic fiction with unique personalities and connections. The children share a realistic dialogue and an age appropriate approach to life for adolescents of their time. They have a limitless sense that is a pleasure for children of any age to share.

The setting is one that the author paints with vivid strokes. Hill is a world traveler and that experience shows in a landscape that gives the impression of authenticity. The African landscape is vast and and pregnant with possibility.  The introductions of infrastructure to the area call for overt descriptions are well edited and enhance the immersive experience. Interweaving in the change to landscape is a deep vein of evil. There are well integrated dream sequences that round out the fantasy aspect of the story.

If you have middle grade children or students, The Roads of Luhonono is a smart and informational period piece. Children will enjoy the sense of fun, subtle humor and surreal storyline. There is a well defined threat with an interesting backstory. The story is engaging and the characters familiar but unique. Pick it up today.

 

 

You can read an excerpt and buy The Roads of Luhonono: Legend of The East Road by Hamilton Hill on: 

Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada

For more information about Hamilton Hill and his work, visit his website. You can connect with him on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter @HillHamilton .

 


Faith and Moonlight by Joe King and Mark Gelineau

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Publication Date: December 15, 2015

 

51oUd1Q1+-L._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_The orphanage in which Kay and Roan live burns down and they must find a new situation. They decide to travel to the School of Faith to train to become one of the highly esteemed Razors. They’ve pledged to stay together but will they make the tough choices to survive?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Fairy Extraordinary Christmas by A.J. York

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Publication Date: November 27, 2015

 

3ff156ef-b511-403e-9b34-f094fa3e6ebaTallulah is a handcrafted Christmas Fairy designed to top a decorated tree. When Sarah’s family unpacks Tallulah from her box, she meets a wonderful cast of seasonal decorations and ornaments that spend the off-season living in Sarah’s attic until their time to shine. Year after year the decorations look forward to being set out and enjoying the energy of the season. When a new box arrives, everything will change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Freddie Teased about Jaheem’s Down Syndrome by Richard Carlson Jr (author) and Kevin Carlson (illustrator)

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Publication Date: February 9, 2015

 

DownSyndromeChildrensBookFreddie visits his friend, Adisa, whose brother Jaheem has Down Syndrome. Freddie teases Adisa about his brother’s condition but when he meets Jaheem will he have a change of heart?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Theo and the Forbidden Language by Melanie Ansley

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Publication Date: November 19, 2014

 

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Theo lives in the rabbit village of Willago and harbors a dark and dangerous secret. Reading and writing has been outlawed, but Theo simply can’t resist. When caught, things look dark but Brune, a brutish bear, thinks that Theo has a great destiny and frees him. Together they travel to Mandakar, a human world where animals are being robbed of their speech and enslaved. Risking everything, can Theo achieve his true potential?

 

 

 

 

 

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We are a Multiracial Family by Richard Carlson Jr. (author) and Kevin Carlson (Illustrator)

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Publication Date: November 4, 2014

 

 

RC_We_Are_Multiracial_FamilyTen-year-old Theodor introduces the reader to his adopted siblings and shows how working together they may not be able to move mountains but can certainly move trees.

 

The author, Richard Carlson, gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

 

 

 

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A Road to Nowhere by Shana Hammaker

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Publication Date: October 14, 2014

 

SH_The_Road_To_NowhereThe Mayor of Somewhere wants to build a bridge between his town and the Town of Nowhere. His secretary, Amarillo Saffron, is all for the connection. Her sister, Cerulean, has been stranded in Nowhere for nine years and Amarillo desperately wants to find her. There’s strong opposition to the bridge and saboteurs may just have prevented its construction for good. Can a town with no hope be connected with hope to spare?

 

 

 

 

 

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