AN UNUSUAL ADVENTURE STILL AWAITS

(Ukiah, California.) Just when you thought there was nothing new under the sun, The Call to Shakabaz, just out from Woza Books, breaks the mold of the children’s fantasy adventure genre. Gory battle scenes? Look elsewhere. English schoolboys? None. All the characters in this book are Black (and bright green, blue, red, yellow) plus the book is set in an African-American cultural context for a refreshingly different slant on adventuring in make-believe lands.

Author Amy Wachspress sidesteps many conventions and offers instead original resolutions to sticky situations. In their quest to retrieve the powerful Staff of Shakabaz from the malevolent enchanter Sissrath, the four young protagonists with their pesky parrot, Bayard Rustin, outsmart or transform their enemies rather than killing them; and the climactic battle scene teaches the fundamental principles of nonviolence and satyagraha as practiced by Dr. King and Gandhi.

Does it work for young readers? You bet. Readers of all ages say they can’t put it down, right through to the unexpected magical climax. What does this demonstrate? You can turn off the TV. Young people will voluntarily read. Today’s youngsters, programmed to respond to fast-moving video games and TV images, look for the following winning combination of ingredients in fiction: a plot-driven story, attention to issues of concern to today’s young people, characters readers can identify with, humor, spirit, and a hefty heap of imagination. For young people who think they have seen it all, a new perspective is the ticket. There is something new under the sun! When the final page turns and the dust clears, The Call to Shakabaz will inspire readers to think more deeply and creatively about what is required to make the lasting earthly peace on which our survival depends. For more information visit the Woza Books website: www.wozabooks.com.

Contact: Ron Reed
Voice: (707) 468-4118 Email: ron@wozabooks.com