WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
ABOUT “THE CALL TO SHAKABAZ”
“The
Call to Shakabaz is a children’s book that is important for everyone to
know about. I suggest you buy it and read it together with the whole
family.” -- Bev Smith,
nationally syndicated talk radio host
“This
is a book about finding personal strength, in all different forms, and
appreciating the talents of others, and the strength in uniting different
people, and so much more! I want to buy a copy for everyone I know,
regardless of age, race, or sex. It’s part fantasy, part history lesson,
part real life—I can’t even describe it!” --
Carrie Spellman,
Teens Read Too
“This
midgrade fantasy is perfect for a young reluctant reader. We ranked this
excellent book five hearts.” --
Bob Spear,
Heartland Reviews
“First
and foremost, The Call to Shakabaz is a highly readable, entertaining
fantasy that anyone can enjoy. But beyond that, it fills some important
holes in fantasy literature. The four children are African-American and many
aspects of African-American culture are integrated into the story. It’s
about time that a good fantasy came along featuring characters that
African-American children can identify with.”
--
Sheila Ruth, Wands and Worlds
“When
I was a child, no one ever wrote about Black children. We were still calling
each other whenever a Black person was coming on TV, ‘Nat King Cole gonna be
on TV tonight’. Now, 53 and grandmother to a host of children, to them I can
read a tale about Black girls and boys who have adventures, rise above their
fears, and so help me God, save the whole wide world! I had to wait 53 years
before a Black girl could ride the white horse.”
-- Jessica Nelson, English teacher,
University of San Francisco
“Highly
recommended.” -- James Cox,
editor-in-chief, The Midwest Book Review
“Do you want to read a
good adventure book with a great storyline and no violence? If you do, you
will want to check out this one. Amy Wachspress has a great imagination. I
will definitely read this book again!” --
Brianne Plach (age 9) for Readers Views
“This book is a
terrific fantasy book for kids. With the popularity of the Narnia series,
The Call to Shakabaz could easily become a favorite for students and
teachers. It kept Brianne very enthused about reading.”
-- Brianne’s mother for Readers Views
“At
the Mendocino Book Company reading [of The Call to Shakabaz], my
9-year-old sat captivated as Wachspress read several excerpts. She broke her
concentration long enough to lean over to me and whisper ‘Can we get this
book?’ – a resounding endorsement for this new work by Amy Wachspress.”
-- Dot Brovarney,
coordinator, Mendocino LitFest
“The climax of
The Call to Shakabaz was especially thrilling. We [Mark and Andrea
Blevis and their two daughters] had the absolute time of our life—laughing,
crying, glowing and agonizing—during the march on Sissrath. What a wild and
wonderful ride!!! We will be giving Shakabaz as gifts this year and
we will continue to shout its praises wherever we go. -- Andrea Blevis, Just One More Book (podcasts about children’s
books), Ontario, Canada
“I
missed my bus stop by eight stops because I was so engrossed in reading
The Call to Shakabaz.” --
Stephanie Vela, children’s books manager, Black Oak Books
“This is a
children’s book in the tradition of
The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and
Harry Potter.” -- Tom Elliott, book review editor, Mensa Bulletin
“I felt like I was
right there sharing the adventure. You will love this book.”
-- Gabriela Kong, age 14
“My son who just
turned 13 is not a reader but he may be one now. I have never seen him as
absorbed in a book as The Call to Shakabaz, which he devoured. He sat
for hours reading it and says he is ready for the sequel.”
-- Amy Foster, parent (Amazon reviewer)
“I was just going
to quickly review this book for my grandchildren – instead I got hooked! A
well-written fantasy, with stress on positive values, and a plot with enough
twists and turns to keep you interested.”
-- Eleanor Cohen, grandmother (Amazon reviewer)
“The Call to
Shakabaz is full of action and surprises. If you haven’t read the book
yet get a copy!!!!” -- Nico
Correia, age 12 (Amazon reviewer)
“We just finished
reading your novel yesterday and it was a big hit with the students. It
strikes me as a Lord of the Rings
meets The Fifth Sacred Thing and I enjoyed it as well. My students
are thinking that you should be working on the sequel.” -- Timothy
McEnry, teacher, Spy Rock Elementary School
“I just started
reading The Call to Shakabaz and I am loving it! I wish I could stay
home and read.” -- Rani Saijo,
owner, Leaves of Grass Books
“The
vocabulary goofs of Hyacinth in The Call to Shakabaz are some of the
best comic relief I’ve ever come across.”
-- Dr. Steven Wirth, physician, family
practice
“The Call to
Shakabaz is so full of invention and shareable feelings. It’s like an
African American Narnia. The characters are really believable. I’ve ordered
an extra copy for the Family Learning Institute and one for my sister, who
has four grandchildren.” – Dr.
James McIntosh, Ph.D., retired English professor, University of Michigan at
Ann Arbor
“How
refreshing to read an adventure tale that does not depend on clichéd British
medieval imagery!” -- Eris
Weaver, librarian (Amazon reviewer)
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LINKS |
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Legacy Audio Books, Inc.
http://www.legacyaudiobooks.com
Cypress House Publishing
Company
http://www.cypresshouse.com/
Transcontinental Printing Company
http://www.transcontinental-printing.com/en/Home/Home.aspx
Educators for Nonviolence
www.efnv.org
Metta Center for Nonviolence Education
www.mettacenter.org
Resource Directory for the Study
of African American Children’s Literature
http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/html/collectionhl/ch-afroamericanbib.shtml
Teachers’ Guide to African
American Literature for the Classroom
http://www.geocities.com/heartland/estates/4967/afroamer.html
The Black Experience in Children’s
Books (available through the Harlem Branch of the New York Public Library)
http://iibp.chadwyck.com/infopage/publ/bec.htm
Jim Trelease on Reading Aloud
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/
The National Children’s Literacy
Information Project
http://www.child2000.org/Lit-video.htm
Literacy for Children
http://www.albany.edu/~jg7712/isp605/pathfinder.html
Reader to Reader (for information
about donating books to school libraries in need)
http://www.readertoreader.org/
Heartland Book Reviews
www.heartlandreviews.com
Black Issues Book Review
http://www.bibookreview.com/
Today's Drum: Positive &
Inspirational News
http://www.todaysdrum.com/
Just One More Book ("Podcasts about
the children's books we love and why we love them -- recorded in our
favourite coffee shop")
http://www.justonemorebook.com/
Independent Book Sellers Association
http://www.booksense.com
Reach and Teach (resources for educators that promote
peace and social justice)
http://www.reachandteach.com
Visit Amy on her blog at
www.viewfromamysworld.blogspot.com
Doshmisi, Denzel, Maia, and Sonjay always thought Aunt
Alice's Manzanita Ranch was a great place to visit, but they never thought
they would have to live there. But when their mother died unexpectedly,
that's where they moved to. It hasn't been very long since then, and the
kids are bored stiff. It's a good thing they have the family Midsummer party
to look forward to. Although without their mom, or even the cousins who are
inexplicably absent, even that might not be much fun.
What starts out as a rather dull, depressing day gets a lot more interesting
with a strange lesson in family history. It turns out that the two brothers
and two sisters are "The Four." Descendants of a line of four brothers and
sisters who can pass through their own dimension and into Faracadar. With
their mother gone, the time of their mother and aunt and uncles have passed.
It is up to the new Four now.
But what is "it"? Trust me, they want to know as much as you do.
Unfortunately, one of the rules is that they don't get to know much the
first time around. All they know is that they have to get the Staff of
Shakabaz away from a guy named Sissrath. Who that is, how they do it, why
they have to, and even what Faracadar is, they'll have to figure out for
themselves. They'll have to work together, learning what each of their
strengths are and how to use them, and maybe they'll be able to pull it all
off.
THE CALL TO SHAKABAZ is richly imagined and incredibly detailed, both land
and story. At first it's a bit like a modern version of
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia). But by
the end of the tale you realize it's so much deeper than that. This is a
book about finding personal strength, in all different forms, and
appreciating the talents of others, and the strength in uniting different
people, and so much more! I want to buy a copy for everyone I know,
regardless of age, race, or sex. It's part fantasy, part history lesson,
part real life -- I can't even describe it! But, it's beautiful, and it's
kind of a picture of what I'd like to see our world look like. Although
maybe without the greenish sun -- that might be a little weird.
Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman at Teens Read Too
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