Category Archives: Kate Calina

Monster

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Steve knows the best time to cry is when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help. In Manhattan Detention Center, he’s scared all the time. In jail, even strangers find reasons to hurt each other.

He’s on trial for murder, though he never touched the gun. He is charged with being the lookout while Mr. King robbed the store. But really, he stands accused of being a Monster.

Over and over he writes the word. Monster. His defense attorney finally pulls the pencil from his hand. If he acts guilty in front of the jury, there’s no way out for him. He’s black, he’s young, and he’s on trial. In the eyes of many of the jury, he’s guilty until proven innocent.

The finger of blame comes from a dope dealer who’s already served time for manslaughter. He was with King at the shooting. The two left the body and went out for fried chicken and soda. Hoping for a lighter sentence, the heartless dealer’s only too ready to make a deal by piling blame on Steve. The prosecutor makes her pronouncement: All are equally guilty.

Steve paces his cell, waiting for the verdict.  Like everyone around him, he wants his life back again.

Walter Dean Myers paints a graphic picture of what it’s like to be in jail as a black youth. Suspected of horrible crimes, Steve has no real way to defend himself from all the accusations, spoken and unspoken. Almost everyone who means anything to him turns away, some with tears in their eyes. What’s left to believe in when hope is gone?

Monster drives you to think about all the tomorrows of your own life, and the tomorrows of the men charged with crimes they may not have committed. In the end, we’re left wondering who’s actually guilty.

Walter Dean Myers was a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and a shining light in the lives of many. Find out more about him at walterdeanmyers.net.

–Kate Calina

Skyborn

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The penalty for treason was being chained to marble columns. For many years, vicious captors tortured the rebellious dragon, burning it with fire lances and shredding its wings. Yet its words only grew bolder as it faced Sirena, keeper of the Horn that controlled its mind. Though one of the most fearless fighters in all the empire, Sirena had yet to unlock the key to the precious Horn of Osius. She had less than five days to learn the secrets of wielding its power—to enslave an entire generation of dragons.

Thianna Frostborn and Karn Korlundsson awoke in an elegant cage, flying south under the wings of angry dragons. Vast forests and ancient ruins spun away beneath them as they approached their destination, the Court of Land and Sky. Raised in the frozen lands of the frost giants, the half-giant Thianna knew little about her mother’s native country. Using one of her unique gifts—a hoarfrost chant—Thianna froze her way to freedom. Recapturing the powerful Horn from an elite force of furious women would require more than brute strength and quick wit. It would demand every gift her allies possessed. Brash minotaurs and leafy dryads soon found themselves fighting for something far greater than their own kingdoms and narrow ideals.

Skyborn is the third of Lou Anders’ Thrones and Bones series. New characters charge through his colorful landscapes, ice blocking down watercourses and gliding over molten lava. Mysterious doors open up, allowing passage to ethereal corridors. As Thianna realizes the decisions she makes have far-reaching consequences, the frost giantess who’s always struck the fastest blows suddenly finds herself unsure of her path forward. Tenuous friendships develop between hardened enemies; impossible alliances become reality. The momentum drives the story at a quick pace towards an arresting climax. Skyborn pulls you into a space you weren’t expecting to be in—a place of wonder and higher dreams.

–Kate Calina

 

Thrones and Bones: Frostborn

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Like all good frost giants, young Thianna loved a good game of Knattleikr.  Gunnlod’s Plateau rang with shouts as the quick teen dodged her massive opponents. The frozen realm had been her home since the day of her birth. Yet all the frost giants, even the most foolish, could tell that she didn’t entirely belong. She had the dark eyes of the southern people, and she was short. Throughout her life she longed to be a full-blooded giant and avoided everything that reminded her of her human mother, long dead. Shortly before the feast of Winternights, her giant father knew the time had come to give his daughter a gift. Thianna took the horn in her hands, knowing only that her mother had guarded it until her final breath.

As winter drew close, the frost giants trekked south to mingle with humans at the market at Dragon’s Dance. Not many humans dared to trade openly with frost giants. Korlund had come, as his people had for generations, bringing his son Karn. Both knew to stay close to the fires on the wild evening of Winternights. When Karn’s uncle drew Karn out into the woods, the simple youth never dreamed his uncle was planning his death. The treacherous man led Karn amidst the barrows, right to the corpse door, with its shining green runes binding the dead to their barrows. In the eerie light Karn awoke the dead, who vowed to hunt him down as he took flight through the dark woods.

In the grand adventure that unfolds, Karn and Thianna come together in the freezing mountains. They fight for their lives as they flee brutish creatures bent on their capture. Enemies fly above churning river gorges and stalk them in ancient ruined cities. The magical excitement of Norse legend charges through the novel, accented by moments of humor. Higher themes drive through the book, making it at once a powerful and enduring tale.

–Kate Calina

On A Clear Day

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Sturmers hate everybody. In the year 2035, they prowl the street, selling death to those with the most cash. In the Bronx, they’re the visible enemy, shooting at the gates of protected communities. But who commands real power? What hidden forces slaughter thousands in India, or raze an entire African village?

In Dahlia Grillo’s world, strands of barbed wire replace the places of fragile joy where kids used to play.  Those with money bar themselves behind gates. Fifty kids can shoot a thousand, armed with automatic weapons. People in the streets are terrified of every other human being. All the schools are shut down. Permanently.

Enter Michael Gullickson, former band leader. He sees everyone living on the edge of despair. He’s all about bringing people together and creating something. He dreams of forming a group smart enough to take on the global corporations that really rule the planet in this urban dystopia.

On the thin hope that she might make a difference in a violent world, Dahlia joins Michael’s dysfunctional team.  In the streets of Miami, bullets blast through the barricades, leaving her reeling on the edge of her idealism. What words give any meaning to the raw brutality on every side?

Walter Dean Myers has earned every award in children’s literature. Taking responsibility is a central theme for him. On A Clear Day casts light into gritty streets and broken neighborhoods, squarely confronting tomorrow’s problems—today.

–Kate Calina

The Relic of Perilous Falls

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059The high altar was in ruins. Elite Nazi forces—the Green Devils—had overrun the coastal town of Ortona, Italy. In the midst of the stench invading the basilica, an American soldier crept towards the exposed gold glinting within the shattered altar. Jacob Wilder knew what was inside the shining casket. As he placed the precious relics in a velvet sack, a cadaverous German officer stumbled towards him. Instantly Jacob drew his weapon, knowing what demon stood before him in the Courtyard of Hell.

The Relic of Perilous Falls is a grand adventure from its opening scenes. Young Will Wilder is as bold as his visionary ancestor—and gifted with similar powers. Black shadows creep along the periphery of Will’s vision, only to vanish when he fixes his gaze on them. Mysterious thuds pound away at the roof, alerting him to the dangers approaching his own home. Reptilian Bottom Dwellers follow the tides of the Perilous River and swarm the town.  When demons emerge from the river shoals, few of the quarrelous residents comprehend what is erupting from the Hells Mouth.  Will has to act quickly as he learns what it is to be a member of the secret Brethren.

Will Wilder is an endearing hero. Though reckless and impatient, he is also quick-witted, and determined to find a way to fix the grave problems his impulsivity has created.  With him on the journey is the wise and lithe Aunt Lucille, a weathered veteran in the demonic wars threatening to engulf Perilous Falls.

Raymond Arroyo is an author with keen insight.  His novel develops vital themes of spiritual awareness, power and division, in an engaging and accessible way.

–Kate Calina

On the Eve of Spring

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003In a lovely city in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Kevin J Anderson delivered the keynote address at the always-entertaining “Life, The Universe and Everything” symposium. The celebrated author, widely known for his Star Wars series and the Dune saga, took us back to his early childhood in an engaging talk about his first encounter with the classic sci-fi movie, The War of the Worlds. The movie stole his heart—and launched him into a most colorful career.

One dark February night, my tribe gathered to watch the landmark 1953 film. Swarms of Martian ships descend on unfortunate Earthlings the world over, destroying Paris, eradicating San Francisco. Terrified Californians flee to the hills as Martians close in on Los Angeles. When even an atomic bomb fails to stop the alien attack, those left behind in the doomed city gather in the churches and pray to God for a miracle.

Thirty two years after the release of the War of the Worlds, Orson Scott Card published his memorable book, Ender’s Game. The novel is an inquiry into what it takes to be a great leader—a galactic hero. Where are heroes found? Can they be formed? Young Ender is only a boy when he leaves his family to begin military training in null gravity. Aliens had nearly annihilated our forces. All now live in peril of final destruction. Ender endures brutal training in a battle school where students and teachers alike live at the edge of terror. In a world where the rules for survival always change, Ender must learn to adapt, instantly, without becoming heartless.

Ender is stripped of every significant relationship as his commanders prepare him for the ultimate confrontation with bugger aliens. Herein lies the darkest side of life. What are we, without our connections with each other? Ender, drifting in space without family or friends, is thrown into chaos. The love of his sister remains a distant memory—and the one thing that drives him to make every sacrifice. The love we share for each other is the beauty shining in the depths of human beings, drawing us far beyond our small existence. The great heroes see these bonds everywhere, transcending ordinary human experience. Ours is a most remarkable journey.

–Kate Calina

. . . To reach the far side, walk beyond the mirror . . .

The New Year Dawns

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008The year 2016 has entered into time. The Chinese proclaim it the Year of the Monkey.

Beloved Monkey!

Spirited and clever, the animated creature bounds into minds and hearts with fiery energy. Revered since the Ming Dynasty, Monkey claims a prominent place in Chinese culture. One of Monkey’s most vivid stories is the Journey to the West, one of the four great classics of Chinese literature.

In this much-loved story, Monkey is born from a stone richly nurtured by the truth and beauty of Heaven and Earth. Bathed by the light of the Sun and the grandeur of the Moon, he springs to life and claims his place as the Handsome Monkey King. He spends his days building stone pagodas and chasing dragonflies in the shelter of the pines. He and his curious followers track alpine streams to a cascading waterfall. Ever the leader, Monkey plunges through the falls to the Water Curtain Cave. Beyond these waters he discovers a place of splendor, home to bamboos, plum blossoms, and the sacred pines—the three ancient Chinese symbols of loyalty, resilience and perseverance.

For a time Monkey reigns content, far from the tyranny of human kings and other creatures of power. But Monkey, looking inside and finding only formless emptiness, sets off on a great journey. Seeking enlightenment, Monkey abandons the safety of his beautiful cavern, searching the Great Way for Sages and Immortals who know the secrets of eternity.

His pride and reckless temper land him in the disfavor of the heavenly courts. Monkey is trapped under the mountains for a full five hundred years, despite his powers of amazing strength and wit. When finally free, he joins a holy monk on a fantastic journey to India to reclaim sacred scriptures.

These are the Days of the Monkey—vibrant and real, and always extraordinary.

–Kate Calina

The Rising

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030The Rising by Robert Ovies

Marion Klein was dead. Her hand was cold and hard as she lay in the funeral home. Father Mark knew she had moved on. He had touched her inanimate body. He had said the funeral service and watched as the last  mourner filed out into the night. Another lovely woman had fallen victim to cancer.

But what was he to make of the mysterious message recording on his answering machine as he walked through his back door? A brittle voice cried out to him from the funeral home: “Please come back if you can. Marion Klein is alive.”

A whirl of incredible images crashed through the quiet community of Royal Oaks. Marion Klein was alive! In short order the ambulance rushed her warming body to the hospital. Incredulous doctors soon discovered that not only was the woman alive: she was well. The cancer was gone.

Back at home, nine year old CJ Walker shuddered as newscasts exploded across the TV screen. Here, in his own city, a wonderful woman had returned to life. The young boy sat in the darkness, taking it all in. Only CJ knew the truth. “It was me.”

He had stood by his mother at the funeral service, eyes wide in the hush of sorrow surrounding the dead woman’s body. His young hand had reached out for Marion. “Be well.” And with that touch, those simple words, she had risen from the dead.

Far away in New York, fifteen year old Anthony Cross lay still in his bed, barely breathing. Lung cancer had claimed the life of his mother six years ago. His broken father paced the hallways, willing his dying son to live. Under the rich mahogany panels crowning the great halls of his mansion, the powerful man fought for his son, summoning private physicians and round-the-clock nurses. Mr. Cross knew Anthony’s final hour was fast approaching, despite all the  treatments for his leukemia. He would do anything to save the life of his only son.

Other miracles followed the first. The city of Royal Oaks was in an uproar. Distraught mothers stood in the rain on CJ’s front lawn, clutching the hands of their sick sons and daughters. Police fought to keep order as hundreds of ailing men and women closed in on CJ’s front porch, seeking a miracle. As a captain from the Department of Defense walked through her door, CJ’s mother Lynn knew that all hope of a normal life for her young son was rapidly fading.

The Rising is, quite simply, an excellent book. CJ, his parents, and his pastor, Father Mark, are thrown into unpredictable settings as the world moves in upon them, seeking to control the boy who can overpower death itself. Greed and fear flare wildly in scenes touched by hope and the beauty of love. The ending is startling in its fast-paced drama. I look forward to the sequel!

–Kate Calina

A Thousand Sisters

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039A Thousand Sisters by Lisa Shannon

In the heart of remote forests in the Congo, those responsible for the Rwandan atrocities have taken shelter. In 1994 they fled Rwanda and hid in refugee camps. Known in the Congo as “those who kill together,” they continue to work every kind of violence on the men and women of the Congo. As author Lisa Shannon notes, “the Congo is the worst place on earth to be a woman.” In the ongoing African battles raging in the lands of the Congo, over five million people have died.

Lisa Shannon learned about the horrific conflict in the Congo from Oprah Winfrey. Oprah covered a story on the nonprofit organization Women For Women International, a group that connects sponsors with Congolese women in need of aid. Lisa decided to take a stand. The path she chose was to run thirty miles to raise funds for Congolese women. With that one determined act, the Run For Congo Women took form. Her first race raised almost thirty thousand dollars.

It wasn’t nearly enough for Lisa. She headed to the Congo.

In villages and tribal compounds, Swahili voices surrounded Lisa, conveying stories of broken lives. Boys as young as nine told her about life as a child soldier, impressed into Hutu and Tutsi militias. They had to join the militias or die. They slept in the mountains without blankets and with nothing to eat, attacking defenseless girls and women under the orders of the chief. Those who failed to carry out the ruthless orders were shot immediately.

Congo has a wealth of diamonds and gold, and large amounts of tantalum, a metal widely used in electronic devices. Congolese mines are heavily controlled by the militias, who employ locals to mine and carry ore through the forest to cargo planes bearing the wealth away from the Congo. Profits may reach as high as US $80 million a year. Such high stakes fuel inhuman violence and corruption.

In Congolese villages, Lisa met with the Congolese “sisters” sponsored by Women for Women. These women had watched their houses burn to the ground, experienced mass killings, and still held on to the little hands of sons and daughters conceived in violence. As she hears the stories, Lisa recognizes the beauty in each soul. In her presence, the Congolese glimpse the American “sisters” they will never meet in person. Through their sisters’ efforts, the women of the Congo are rising beyond the fury and the hatred. They are receiving medical care. They are buying chickens. Their children remain alive. Furaha sana. So much joy.

At the time Lisa completed A Thousand Sisters, she has been involved in sponsoring one thousand Congolese women, who are raising more than five thousand children.

To find out more, visit Lisa’s website: lisajshannon.com.

–Kate Calina

The Boy on the Wooden Box

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085The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson

Rumors rolled through the streets of Krakow. Germans soldiers were closing in. Polish Jews glanced at each other in mounting fear. What would happen to them if the town surrendered to the Nazis?

Young Leon Leyson spent his childhood in the rural village of Narewka, Poland. His father, Moshe, was often away, honing his skills at a glass factory in Krakow. The watchful father soon brought his family there, working hard to provide. As war loomed over Poland in 1939, hopes for a safe haven rapidly dissolved. When the Nazis took control of Krakow, all Jews were fired from the glass factory. Moshe remained. He spoke German.

His family was assured a precarious safety, until one night when the Gestapo pounded on the door. The German secret police beat Moshe, choked him, and dragged him out into the night. For months, no one knew where Moshe had been taken. The day Moshe was released from St. Michael’s prison, his children knew a vital part of him was gone. Moshe returned to his job with his confidence deeply shaken, aware that the only way to feed his family was to remain in the employ of the Nazis.

The Nazis took over all Jewish businesses in the city. All Polish Jews were rounded up and forced to the ghettos. Elderly Jews were transported to the gas chambers of Auschwitz. As the war progressed, Leon and his family were sent to a labor camp, where they spent their days hauling lumber and rocks to build Nazi barracks.

In the midst of this hellish world, one Nazi businessman saw opportunity. His factory produced pots and pans for the Nazi army—and munitions for the war effort. Impressed by Moshe’s determination and skills, Oskar Schindler offered the Polish Jew a job. Schindler built a camp by the factory, freeing his Jewish workers from the horrors of life in the labor camp. Surrounded by Nazis bent on torture and extermination, Schindler reached out with acts of kindness. He hired Moshe’s sons. He threw late night parties and paid heavy bribes to stop Nazi commanders from taking his Jewish workers to the gas chambers. Schindler was responsible for saving the lives of over a thousand Jews.

“Oskar Schindler thought my life had value,” Leon writes. “Only by standing on a wooden box could I reach the controls of the machine I was assigned to operate. That box gave me a chance to look useful, to stay alive.”

The Boy on the Wooden Box is a moving tribute to a man with incredible courage and resourcefulness. Powerfully written, with clarity and sensitivity, it is an excellent book for anyone who wants to understand life in Poland under the Nazi regime.

–Kate Calina