Born into Light

When a number of "feral children" are found in a New England town during the Depression, only young Roger Westwood suspects they are not earthly creatures, though even he cannot guess their true nature or their mission on this planet.

Grade 6-10 This science fiction period piece depicts a quiet New England community near the turn of the century as it is visited and changed by a handful of strange un earthly beings, one of whom is taken in by the Westwood family and becomes young Roger's Westwood's brother. Considered at first to be feral children , they soon as tonish their foster families by the extreme rapidity with which they learn language and customs and by their unusual recuper ative powers after injury. Roger's foster brother eventually marries Roger's sister, produces children who seem to share the unique qualities of the strangers, and be gins a grand quest to track down and re unite all the alien visitors who have ap peared throughout the United States in an effort to piece together the puzzle of their purpose on Earth. Jacobs' formal poetic style is appropriate for the time period. The story unfolds through the eyes of el derly Roger Westwood. Although this technique of an adult looking back on childhood events may limit the book's ac cessibility for some readers, the vividly visual language makes the novel a very finely crafted work. Gradual revelations about the nature of these beings and their origin should tantalize and beguile read ers, and with its fascinating plot, the book should appeal to many. Lyle Blake Smythers, Library of Congress, Washing ton, D.C.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.