David Ward (1) (1967–)

I picked this book because I thought it sounded really interesting and because the main characters name was Yeats. However, I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book. I couldn't have been more wrong.

The grandmother's house is the kind of house I would love. It's mysterious, there are tons of places to explore, there's even a wishing well on the grounds. The most mysterious place in the house is the library, it comes complete with a cat that doesn't appear to age, and pirate bookends show more that not only come to live, but can grant wishes. Not just any wishes though, the wishes must pertain to books.

I thought that this was such a creative plot. I love that the family is intelligent and bookish, as evidenced by naming the son Yeats. The idea that someone could wish themselves into a book, which they access via a sea of words is incredible to me. The author's choosing The Arabian Nights was so unique. It is a classic, but to use that specific book as the backdrop for a modern YA novel was a brave choice that is used beautifully.

It opens up the world of classic literature to a new audience and the action will draw in anyone who picks up the book. The characters are engaging. I don't know whom to love more, the grandmother, the cat Odysseus or the pirate bookends. Yes, the family is a little dysfunctional, but you can't help but love the wonderful blend of literature, magic and eccentricity. show less

Yeats Trafford, age 12, visits his grandmother, who lives in a creepy house which has more than the usual creeks and moans. The garden seems able to sense Yeats presence, especially near the old wishing well. From that weird experience, Yeats uncovers an old pirate bookend that was “kicked out” of the library 20 years earlier. Yeats cleans the old guy and takes him to gran’s library, reuniting him with his matching bookend. From there, a strange yet believable world opens up to Yeats. show more He has heard the story of his father’s own journey with the pirate bookends and is determined to make the same trip. Yeat’s wants to finish his father’s journey hoping it will keep his parents together. Yeats must bring home the girl left behind 20 years ago when she and Yeat’s father went on their own journey. Where does Yeats and the pirate bookends (named Skin and Bones), journey? Into the pages of The Arabian Nights.

Yeats must find a way to bring Shari, Shaharazad in the story, home without actually rescuing her. Shari/Shaharazad must want to return on her own before the spell she is under will break – a spell only Shaharazad remembering another reality can break. Yeats cannot force her to return. Yeat’s father could not get Shari, now living as Shaharazad, to return. She has been inside the story for 20 years. Yeats has an impossible task before him. Funny guys Skin and Bones refuse to help. Maybe it’s of a pirate’s code (of dishonor)? Skin and Bones transport Yeats, leaving him on his own, inside the shore of The Arabian Nights

I really liked this story. It was difficult to put the book down. There is adventure, romance, harrowing action and lots of humor, especially from Skin and Bones. Shari has been in the story as Shaharazad, the king’s storyteller and the one person who can get the king to sleep. Shaharazad might be telling the king boring stories, but in Between Two Ends, not one boring word can be found. The author, David Ward, does a masterful job creating the world of The Arabian Nights, capturing the lost souls, the resident’s desperation, and the danger Yeats encounters, brilliantly.

The “original” Arabian Nights, known in the US as A Thousand-and- One Arabian Nights, has more than 1000 pages in some older versions. A currently available version has 912 pages. David Ward’s Between Two Ends could easily be part of an Arabian Nights tale for the twenty-first century. Plus, with less than 300 pages, it is a faster read.

Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. show less

The idea of being lost in a story is familiar to almost any avid reader. It's a reason many of us read. To escape the world and become part of a new one. This is what happens to young Yeats in Between Two Ends. He goes into a story to rescue someone who has become lost in the book. Literally.

I loved this book! There was a beautiful mix of poetry and drama. Of course, what would you expect of a book with the main character named for a famous poet. It was a quick read, but it never felt show more rushed. Things moved at a steady pace until the end. There was a wonderful absurdity to the dialogue. The author painted such a vivid picture that it was easy for me to become lost in the worlds of this book. Both of them. You can almost hear some Rimsky-Korsakov in your head as events in Shererazade's world unfold.

I've always loved the story of Scheherazade. I almost wish we could have seen a bit more of what it was like to live the part. However, I can see how it wasn't relevant to the plot at hand. I would highly recommend this book to children and adults. It's a fun read, and it left me wanting more adventures with Yeats and his crew.

Galley for review provided by publisher show less

“I need a quest,” twelve-year-old Jonah tells God. “Hear that? I want a quest. You took my dad. The least you could do is give me some direction.” In fact, God has already prepared a quest for Jonah, teasing him with the tantalizing mystery of a girl no one else can see.
As it turns out, the girl is Akilah, and she is also twelve. She lived 14,000 years ago on the same Queen Charlotte Islands where Jonah and his mother have been camping. In Akilah’s time, glaciers lined Canada’s show more western shores and water levels were so low that some islands are not on Jonah’s contemporary map because they have been submerged by glacial melt. A door has opened between the two times, and a magical mist guides Jonah to the threshold so that he can begin his adventure.
To Jonah’s mother, Jonah appears to be sleeping deeply because of a possible concussion from a fall earlier in the day. This Wizard of Oz motif frames the story gracefully, even though Jonah’s quest is much more perilous than anything Dorothy faced on her way to the Emerald City. Together, Jonah and Akilah confront sub-zero temperatures and the “Crossers,” who try to kill Akilah’s people for their meager belongings. Akilah and Jonah must defend themselves from these fierce fighters if they want to live. During their free time, however, they talk, and Akilah’s matter-of-fact attitude about death strikes Jonah as appalling. However, she also tells him that his father “lives on inside of you,” and that it is a “great honor” to live in ways he would have respected.
David Ward’s clear, direct prose keeps the plot lively, and his dialogues, especially those between Jonah and his mother, are lifelike and compelling. This is his fifth book. His other titles include the Mask trilogy and The Hockey Tree. by Elizabeth Breau show less