STARGAZER Land of Elyon, Book 4

The fourth book in the Land of Elyon series starts with intrepid 12-year-old Alexa Daley aboard a ship that a sea monster is about to attack. Soon she finds herself without her companions, her uncle Roland and the comic Yipes, in a land that sits on five mysterious stone pillars. Ellen Archer's overall narrative voice is calm and low, and her portrayal of Alexa is dramatic and believably youthful. As Alexa, Archer depicts the fun of "skimming" down pillars, the joy of finding Yipes, and the pleasure of making new friends. Archer’s more reflective narrative voice registers Alexa’s sorrow at Roland's drowning, her fear of a lurking evil that she knows she must defeat, and her sense of responsibility for many people. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]