Trick Of The Light

I eagerly awaited this book, a sequel to SHADOW OF THE MOON and was not disappointed. Cohen has a gift for heart-pounding, page-turning story telling. The interactions between the characters are hilarious, tension filled and just the right tone for the middle grade reader. Looking forward to more books from this author!

Both my students in grades 4 and 5, and my own son in grade 6, were begging for the sequel to Shadow of the Moon ever since we read it the month it came out. They fell in love with the characters in the first book, and were delighted to go on another fantastical adventure with them. As a teacher, I loved the science elements woven into the story, and appreciated a character who had a learning disability being a key figure. The kids, however, were just thrilled to step back into the world of the Evil Dark Umbro and his sister, the equally powerful (and purely good)Aura. The dialogue is great, the writing is strong, and the quest will make kids root for the heroes and beg for more. (If you're a teacher, make sure you check out the fabulous teacher's package on www.marinacohen.com as well. Talk about making your job easy!)