A take on the Pied Piper story with Callie as the heroine, trying to find the missing children and save the rest of kiddom everywhere. Okay read.

Basic Reason for Beginning: It's Jane Yolen, a fairytale, deals with the Pied Piper and doesn't contain a direct link to WW2 to steal my voice. What more could I ask for?
Basic Reason for Finishing: For me, the book took a long while to get going, but the end drew the whole thing together very nicely indeedy. ^-^
Texture: Er... What I didn't read in between quizzing teenagers, I read sickly, so my judgment's a little impaired by distracting, but I'd say it's... soft, slightly sponge-bouncy... Like a bouncy castle, but then not as hard a material.

Full review here.

Book Rereadability: I'm not entirely sure. It didn't have that same beauty and elegance that Briar Rose had, though it's not a bad story. Likely, since I like the story of the Pied Piper and I do like Yolen's style.
Author Rereadability: This is my fourth Jane Yolen book and it certainly won't be my last!
Recommendation: This is a children's book, so to anyone who likes fairytale retellings or wants an introduction to the story of the Pied Piper. That said, any adult who likes fairytale retellings can find an enjoyable story in this too.
Challenge: Once upon a Time III (My first completed book!) I'm placing it in the folklore and fairytale category. Why? This retelling is certainly a fairytale retelling, but the original story of the Pied Piper has always been folklore to me. ( )

A modern re-telling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin that mixes the world of fairy with our own putting a new twist on an old story. Calliehas strict parents and is sure she will never be able to convince them to let her go and see ouring rock band Brass Rat. She manages to get a backstage pass to write an article on the band for her school magazine and it turns out her parents are actually fans of the band too. So Callie goes with her parents and annoying younger brother in tow. She overhears an arguement and some things she can't explain raising her suspicions of the band who seem to have been around a lot longer than their looks and physical ages imply.

The next night is Halloween and Callie stays home to write her article while everyone else is out trick or treating. Her parents rush home to find Callie is the only child left in the whole town. Callie starts to put the peices together and realises that the flute player from the band is the Pied Piper and as he was not able to colelct his money for the concert he has taken the souls of the children instead. She must now try to find a way to bring them all back, break an ancient curse and find her lost brother.

Lots of fun, Jane Yolen and her son Adam Stemple make a great writing team. They even included full song lyrics of Brass Rats songs at the end. I really liked Callie and like all the best fairy tales there is a bitter sweet ending and not quite a happily ever after for everyone concerned. I will definitely be reading Troll Bridge by the authors soon. ( )

Calcephony "Callie" McCallan is a fourteen-year-old middle child. Her older brother, who she adores, is away at college while her younger brother, who she can sometimes stand, makes himself a nuisance at home. When the rock-n-reel band Brass Rat comes to town, she leaps at the chance to interview the band members for her school newspaper. Her parents agree on one condition, her younger brother Nick gets to come, too.

There they meet the dark and mysterious lead singer and flute player Peter Gringras and his bandmates. During the interview, she senses that not all is what it seems. And when all the children in her town go missing on Halloween night, she knows exactly who is responsible. Only, no one believes her. So, she takes things into her own hands.

Pay the Piper is the first of the new "Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale" series written by the well known author Jane Yolen and her musician son, Adam Stemple. The series consists of "modern" retelling and reinterpretation of fairy tales (in this case, the Pied Piper of Hamelin), and while being aimed toward younger readers, make for quite a fun read regardless of age.

Experiments in Reading ( )

http://booksareking.blogspot.com/2005... ( )