  | This was our pact Author: Andrews, Ryan | |
| Price: $21.18 | ||
Summary:
It's the night of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, when the town gathers to float paper lanterns down the river. Ben and his classmates want to find out where those lanterns go and make a pact: No one turns for home. No one looks back. It isn't long before the pact is broken by all except for Ben and Nathaniel, the one kid who just doesn't seem to fit in. Together they will travel farther than anyone has ever gone, down a winding road full of magic, wonder, and unexpected friendship.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 3.00 Points: 2.0 Quiz: 503713 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 3.20 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 77178 | |
Reviews:
School Library Journal (00/06/19)
Booklist (06/01/19)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/06/19)
The Hornbook (00/11/19)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2019 Gr 4–7—Each year, during the Autumn Equinox Festival, the townsfolk release lanterns into the nearby river in honor of a local folk song. And every year, a group of boys ride their bikes along the river to follow the lanterns, always stopping partway through. This year, they make a pact to follow the lanterns for as long as possible and discover where they go. But one by one, each rider turns back until the only ones left are narrator Ben and perpetual tag-along Nathaniel. The two boys discover wonders around them: an anthropomorphized bear, a potion maker, and more. This is a charming read, thanks to adventurous Nathaniel, who remains steadfast and self-assured despite enduring verbal bullying from the other boys, in contrast to insecure, timid Ben. The palette is dominated by an inky, navy blue sky infused with ethereal blue stars, occasionally interrupted by vibrant, warm hues. Imprecise linework mirrors the fluidity of the book's reality, and Ben has a Harry Potter–like appearance. VERDICT For readers who want an escapist fantasy with a light touch. Hand this title to fans of whimsical or unpredictable adventures such as Neil Gaiman's Fortunately, the Milk or Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.—Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 06/01/2019 *Starred Review* A group of boys on bikes sets out to learn whether the lanterns cast down the river in their town’s annual ceremony actually turn into stars like the legends say. The titular pact: no turning back from their quest. Who ends up breaking the pact and who doesn’t is only one element of this richly imagined and complexly emotional story that would be spoiled by too thorough a plot summary, though the story's power rests less in surprise than in the moment-to-moment unfolding of the journey. Andrews visualizes his concept with a tone and texture that produces an unassuming but profound strangeness: A telephone on top of a boulder in the middle of a stream? All the constellations in the sky interpreted by a talking bear? This embeds the fantasy in an earthy, handcrafted reality, apparent right up to its rough panel borders. It also empathizes with its relatable protagonists—cautious white Ben and guileless, brave, dark-skinned Nathaniel—in a deep way, understanding that being annoying is often the result of reaching out and that being an asshole often stems from fear. It may owe some of its eerie melancholy and occasional menacing absurdity to the likes of Lewis Carroll and Shaun Tan, but its message is distinctly its own: What you imagine to be the end of the journey may be satisfying, but the adventure actually goes on as long as you keep riding down the road. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.
