http://books.moonsoar.com/archives/20... ( )

This isn’t going to make it into the children’s classic list, but it’s a fun read for younger teens and tweens. To Avi’s credit with this novel, he steers clear of the well-overused fantasy fiction plot of the child of promise overcoming a great evil against all odds that is threatening to destroy life as everyone knows it. Instead this is a simplistic yet multi-factional mystery that unveils itself well over the course of the text. The historical aspects seem accurate, and the characters are believable within the social constraints of this time period as well as their motives for their actions. Fabrizio is a wonderful protagonist to follow throughout the story, as his simple-minded but oddly sage-like characteristics capture the pace and storyline well. Also, unlike many of the books in this genre, there is no willing suspension of disbelief required, which is a welcome breath of fresh reading. I recommend this to anyone 10 , but the main audience will be boys 10-14.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )

Level:4.7
Pts: 6.0