The Call to Shakabaz

Title: The Call to Shakabaz
Author: Amy Wachspress
Publisher and/or Distributor: Woza Books
Publisher Website: www.wozabooks.com
Pages: 272
ISBN: 0-9788350-2-6
Price: $15.50
Publishing Date: January 2007
Reader: Bob Spear
Rating: 5 hearts

This midgrade fantasy is perfect for a young reluctant reader. The book is unusual in that all the characters are people of color—not only African American hues, but other colors as well. Four modern orphans find themselves escorted through a gate into another dimension where they come to take over the roles of their mother and her three siblings as protectors and problem solvers for different people in conflict with an evil wizard. Unique among other fantasy adventure books, they discover only non-violent solutions to the impinging threats.

The author shows the four children, along with their very intelligent parrot, growing and developing into their legacy—becoming what they are intended to become—The Four. We ranked this excellent book five hearts.