Blackstick Papers, by Lady Ritchie. with Portraits

The mummy that Andrew creates for his fifth grade project seems to have special powers and helps him to understand his feelings about himself, his dead mother, and his stepbrother, whom he calls Mr. Gifted

Grade 4-7-Woodruff's obvious enjoyment of mixing historical information with a modern adventure, seen in George Washington's Socks (Scholastic, 1993) and Dear Napoleon, I Know You're Dead, But (Holiday, 1992), is again evident in this work. Andy Manetti's life is filled with angst. He is constantly overshadowed at school and home by his stepbrother, also 10, who he has nicknamed "Mr. Gifted." Andy feels average and almost unloved until his fifth-grade class takes a field trip to the museum. As he stares into the mystical face of an Egyptian mummy, an odd feeling overtakes him, and he soon finds that he has been imbued with magical powers. He is suddenly a gifted artist, is given five wishes, and is ultimately able to reconcile himself to his mother's death and to his stepbrother's existence. The book has a strong narrative voice, believable and likable characters, and an involving plot. The factual information is interesting, and Andy's fantastical adventure is fun and well paced.
Elizabeth Hanson, Chicago Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-6. Tired of being compared to his brilliant, 10-year-old stepbrother, Jason, Andy Manotti, also 10, resigns himself to mediocrity, but the plot thickens. When the fifth-grade classes visit the local museum, he feels a strong and powerful link to an Egyptian mummy display. Back at school, Andy draws an exquisite picture of a mummy case and soon finds that it has the power to grant him wishes. The magic may be imagined (Woodruff lets readers decide), but Andy's final dilemma is real enough. Should he use his last wish to ship his stepbrother off to Mars or to bring his mother back to life? While readers may find the stepbrothers' inevitable reconciliation less convincing than their original relationship of mutual dislike, the story will hold their interest, and the book jacket, with its spooky depiction of Jason mesmerized by some magical force from the mummy, will attract many kids to the book. Carolyn Phelan