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Frances Schoonmaker
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The Black Alabaster Box (Last Crystal Trilogy) Paperback – March 1, 2018

by Frances Schoonmaker (Author)
Grace Willis had never heard of the Last Crystal and the magic it holds when her family sets out for California on the Santa Fe Tail. Grace doesn't believe in magic. And she doesn't want to go to California. She's just starting to make friends on the Trail when she is kidnapped and taken into Oklahoma Territory. She has to decide whether to cave in to despair or take action to escape and find her family. In taking action, Grace is drawn into a quest for the Last Crystal, discovering a centuries old secret guarded by the Black Alabaster Box.  
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Last Crystal Trilogy
  2. Print length
    228 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Auctus Publishers
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 2018
  6. Grade level
    2 - 7
  7. Reading age
    13 - 18 years
  8. Dimensions
    5 x 0.48 x 8 inches
  9. ISBN-10
    0997960744
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0997960747
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Schoonmaker has put a great deal of attention into historical context and scholarship about the Great Westward Migration. Plus, the books are infused with exciting magical elements that kids adore. Courtney McGee, The Baltimore Sun, Towson edition (Wednesday, April 25, 2018, p.21).

This book is fantastic. It weaves history, fantasy, life lessons, and story all into one. I could not put it down! Anjela Horjus, School Librarian, Goodreads Review

Young adults, especially those in middle school, will find The Black Alabaster Box a lively, action-filled story. Filled with the promise of magic and cemented by the realities of survival in early pioneer times, it's a solidly engrossing tale that holds lessons about kindness, respecting and caring for the world, and how small choices can hold big consequences for either good or evil. D.Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review

"A well-crafted mix of fact and fantasy filled with surprises and grounded in history and real-world dilemmas." Kirkus Reviews For the full review:kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frances-schoonmaker/the-black-alabaster-box/

A well-crafted mix of fact and fantasy filled with surprises and grounded in history and real-world dilemmas. Kirkus Reviews

From the Author

I imagined Grace as a child who takes her privileged life for granted. Her inner mettle has never been tested. She's always been taken care of until suddenly, her world is turned upside down and she has to leave everything she knows and loves for the uncertainty of life on the Santa Fe Trail. She doesn't believe in magic, though it is all around her, from the moment a mysterious dog appears at her front door at the beginning of the book. Grace learns that there is such a thing as magic and it is she who discovers how to open The Black Alabaster Box, setting the quest for The Last Crystal in motion. 
The Black Alabaster Box is the first book in The Last Crystal Trilogy. I'd like readers of all ages to finish the trilogy with the idea that there are some things a child can do because children have the imagination to see what adults cannot see. Ordinary kids can step up to do extraordinary things. Superheroes and magic won't solve our problems. But kindness and imagination will take us a long way toward unraveling them.  

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Auctus Publishers
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0997960744
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0997960747
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.1 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 18 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.48 x 8 inches
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ The Last Crystal Trilogy
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 7
  • Best Sellers Rank: #6,674,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

About the author

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Frances Schoonmaker

Frances Schoonmaker

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My first published work was a mystery that appeared as a serial in the high school paper. It was complete with an astonishing number of bodies and a fireplace with sconces, one of which was the key to a secret passage. What can I say? I came across it recently and had a good laugh.

I taught in elementary school for a dozen-plus years before becoming a professor at Teachers, College, Columbia University. So you'll see a couple of my scholarly books in my list. People often ask why I decided to write for kids after being a professor. I haven't thought of it as a big change. My whole professional life has been devoted to children and their education. This is another way or supporting them. But I confess, I didn't quite leave the scholar behind. It was a real challenge to write a fantasy set in particular periods in history. My background in historical research was a great help as I explored new work on the Great Westward Expansion, World Wars I and II, and the Chumash people who settled along the Pacific Coast of Southern California.