Emerald Atlas written by John Stephens 417 pages 978030787969

There is a new series, The Books of Beginning, in town. It is unlikely to create the firestorm of Harry Potter, but it has some of those universal themes familiar in other great series (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and this is, even more importantly, available in audio format read by the great Jim Dale (who was the VOICE of the Harry Potter audiobooks). Three siblings mysteriously lose their parents and refuse to think of themselves as orphans. They are sent to several different establishments before they are sent to their "final" posting. A home for orphans that seem to have no other orphans. Kate is the oldest, Emma, the youngest and Michael the book who discovers the magic of the green book. It is an album that can transport them through time and space via magic photographs. After one such excursion they return home without Michael. Yes, they get separated a lot, which means they each have their own fantastic adventures involving magic and the overarching battle between good and evil. And what adventure can their be without an evil female and scary creatures. Fortunately, the children meet up with courageous benefactors, and imprisoned children who need to be rescue. It is a delicious adventure. The audiobook(10 discs) would make a family vacation even more special or it could be used as a bedtime serial. I recommend highly and can't wait for the next episode.