Escape the Mask: The Grassland Trilogy: Book One [Hardcover]

David Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Grassland Trilogy (Book 1)

The first in a new adventure trilogy full of danger, bravery, and unexpected friendships

Welcome to Grassland, where the only hope of freedom is to go beyond the reach of sinister, silent masters, and the only family you know are your fellow captives. Coriko has never known a world beyond his cell and the fields where he toils all day. He does what he’s told and tries not to anger the Spears, the cruel, masked jailers who guard him and the other child slaves. If he gathers baskets of shards and keeps quiet and orderly, then he can spend time with his cellmate and best friend, Pippa.

But without warning, the children’s orderly lives begin to change—slowly at first, with the arrival of a pair of siblings who speak Coriko and Pippa’s language. Soon after, violent events shake up the quiet world of Grassland, and Coriko must find the strength to grasp his freedom. Full of heartstopping action, Escape the Mask introduces Coriko, Pippa, and their friends—and begins the journey of The Grassland Trilogy.

F&P level: X

F&P genre: F

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—This fantasy depicts a society of child slaves working the fields collecting shards. Penned up like animals at night by their harsh masters, the "Spears," these youngsters have only distant memories of life before they were kidnapped from their villages. They are set free in the confusion of the war between the Spears and the "soldiers of the Outside" over the shards. They escape into a world only few of them remember or know how to exist in. Hiding from both the Spears and the Outsiders, they travel as far away as they can from their prison and see the horrors of war in the process. When the children reach the villages outside Grassland, they realize that the Spears may not be so different from them after all, despite their cruelty. This adds a surprising plot twist. The characters are slowly developed, and in the end readers are left with a better idea of what makes them behave as they do. The mood is sustained well throughout as a general sense of unease builds from the first chapter on. Readers know that something horrible is going to happen. This is an interesting book that could be a hit with slower readers, and a definite first purchase for most collections.—Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Children's Literature Consultant, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
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From Booklist

In the opening volume of the Grassland Trilogy, several children escape slavery when their masked keepers, known only as Spears, are slaughtered by an army of Outsiders. Stolen by the Spears as very young children, Coriko and his cherished mate, Pippa, remember almost nothing of their previous lives, or of the world beyond their grassy plain. Shortly after the arrival of Tia, a new slave who is older than the age at which children are usually taken away to a mysterious fate, the Spears are attacked. Eluding warriors on both sides, the captives flee through tunnels and into a forest, then break into separate bands. Time and place are unidentifiable in this quickly paced story, which focuses less on natural or cultural detail than on the interplay between strong, aggressive Coriko and the smarter, more compassionate Pippa. Whether the authors goes forward to model his trilogy on Lord of the Flies or takes it in another direction in coming episodes, readers will be drawn in by Coriko’s appealing simplicity and the challenges of staying alive and free. Grades 5-8. --John Peters

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810994771
• ISBN-13: 978-0810994775
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,945,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful start to a new series for Young Adults, July 23, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape the Mask: The Grassland Trilogy: Book One (Hardcover)

Coriko and his partner Pippa are slaves to the Spears. The children are Twosies, who have lived in the grasslands and worked at finding the shards that the Spears want mined from the sands for many years. Coriko, who doesn't remember a life outside of captivity, relies on Pippa for friendship and support as they struggle through each day trying to meet the gather quotas and keep from angering the Spear guards and the punishment that comes afterwards.

However, they find their life changing slowly when two newcomers, who speak the same language as Pippa and Coriko, are captured and brought to the grasslands. They bring news of unrest in the outside world, and the possibility of war. When the Spears suddenly start changing their gathering totals for the day, and are attacked by enemy archers inside the grasslands, the four friends team together with two other slave children to try and survive. The violence towards the Spears increases and the children find themselves looking for ways to free the other slaves, escape from the cave complex that they are kept in, and get past both the Spears and the attacking soldiers.

Escape the Mask is the first book in The Grasslands Trilogy. The story explores the idea of freedom. Coriko and his friends find themselves free from the torture and cruelty of their captors, and are faced with freedom from the slavery that was the life they were accustomed to. After they find freedom, each child has the opportunity to discover more about themselves, and who they are. They grow from slaves with no identity to individuals with very distinct strengths and weaknesses.

I found the story engaging. I enjoyed watching the six children grow as they found strength together to break free from imprisonment and discover they each are.

This is a great introduction to a new series, and I am looking forward to reading the next book when it is published.

Armchair Interviews says: Another good Young Adult read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Creative and Original, April 17, 2003

By 

Autumn (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape the Mask (Paperback)

'Escape of the Mask' is the first book written by David Ward. It is a wonderful story of suspense and intruige, and can keep even the worst of readers hooked! It follows the story of a boy in a seemingly ancient land, where he is held captive by masked men, and forced to work endlessly. It is a place where every man (or boy) fends for himself, and few care about the well being of others. The story slowly unfolds over a period of time, and will keep you guessing to the end. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, satisfying read, that won't keep you reading for days on end.