From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—The land of Illmoor is in trouble again. In Ratastrophe Catastrophe (Hyperion, 2004; Listening Library; 2004) by David Lee Stone, a pied piper charmed the children of the land away. In The Yowler Foul-Up (Hyperion, 2006), an evil sect, the Yowlers, are determined to wreak havoc on the town of Dullitch and turn its citizens into rocks. The only things standing between the people of Illmoor and total destruction are a cranky vampire, an inept thief, and a failed mayor. Adventures ensue and dozens of characters are introduced, but the story becomes too convoluted. While there's laugh-out-loud humor here, young listeners will yearn for one youthful protagonist to hang their hopes on. Children seeking more depth in their high fantasy would do better with books by Lloyd Alexander and C.S. Lewis.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
