  | Eye of Zoltar (Chronicles of Kazam) Author: Fforde, Jasper | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange faces the impossible when the mighty Shandar emerges from his preserved state and presents her with a task that sends her and her companions on a journey from which they may never return.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG+ Reading Level: 6.50 Points: 13.0 Quiz: 169520 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 6.40 Points: 19.0 Quiz: 64652 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/14)
School Library Journal (07/01/14)
Booklist (09/01/14)
The Hornbook (00/01/15)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/01/2014 What starts out as an ordinary day for Jenny Strange, manager of Kazam Magical Arts and official Court Mystician, turns into a desperate journey when she travels into the neighboring Cambrian Empire to locate the Eye of Zoltar, a goose-egg-sized ruby. It is a dangerous assignment, and she is aided by her colleague (and date), the Wizard Perkins, a rubber dragon, and the Crown Princess of Snodd, who has been transferred into the body of a Royal Dog Mess Removal Operative by her mother as a lesson in humility. Fforde peoples this third installment of the Chronicles of Kazam with his signature wacky eccentrics, and the plot is wildly entertaining—and a bit easier to follow than The Song of the Quarkbeast (2013). Throughout, the snark quotient is high, encompassing everything from financial speculations on princess and goat futures to a devotional visit to the Patron Saint of Fading Relevance. Fans will laugh all the way to the last page and will be happy to hear there is more absurdity to come.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Chronicles of Kazam titles are worldwide best-sellers, and the blockbuster marketing plan for this latest installment will only fan the flames. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 Gr 5–8—Jennifer Strange, 16, is pretty busy these days, as manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management and Court Mystician for the Kingdom of Snodd. Still, she can't say no when the queen "asks" that she take on the challenge of transforming the obnoxious and spoiled princess (who is switched into the body of a downtrodden orphan by her mother when she refuses to cooperate) into a functional and empathetic leader. Then Jennifer is blackmailed by the most powerful magician ever into a search (not a quest, which is far more expensive) for the almost completely legendary Eye of Zoltar, last seen in the dangerously unbalanced Cambrian Empire, where kidnapping and jeopardy tourism are the main sources of revenue. The odds are definitely not in her favor on this perilous journey with the young but extremely resourceful tour guide, Addie; a rubberized dragon; her rapidly aging beau, Perkins; a vain princess turned undernourished orphan; and mysterious heroes and wastrels of various sorts. The ever-resourceful Jennifer must reach deep into her bag of mental and emotional reserves to battle strange magic and survive terrible loss. This installment is darker than the first two outings and contains a Grand Canyon–sized cliff-hanger of an ending. Fans of strong, brave, intelligent females will root for Jennifer and her gang, and wait impatiently for the next book.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
