Flight of the Moth-Kin

Having escaped the giants' glass bottle prison, tiny moth-kins brave the dangers of what seems to be a human playground as they attempt to return to their colony by the river with the aid of their newly developed wings

Grade 3-6 The river was the Moth-Kin folk's world until, in Moth-Kin Magic (McElderry, 1983) the giants (children) uprooted them, moss and all, into the bottle world of a terrarium. This engrossing sequel chronicles the family after they escape the terrarium to return home. Ripple, with her older brother and sister, Crick and Lissa, are out scouting as the journey begins. When Ripple is bitten by a grasshopper that attacks her, Old Ivy, a hump-backed hermit, finds and nurses her. The adults eventually find the group, and after many harrowing experiences, all return to the river bank. Readers will be with the moth-kin family every step of the way. The unusual setting created by miniature people in the world of a modern American playground is effective. Although the plot development is excellent, some of the writing is clumsy or too precious, with nouns such as ``insect beast'' for grasshopper and ``a white cloud puff'' for a dandelion gone to seed. Still, it's a lovely light book for young fantasy readers. Kathleen Riley, Hilltop Elementary School, Beachwood, Ohio
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A breezy sequel to Moth-Kin Magic, which fans of Tapp's first novel may find even more enjoyable. Abandoned in the wilderness after escaping from the giants, Ripple and her party must find a safe new home. But there are tremendous dangersthe great six-legged beasts, storms, the giants themselvesand Ripple and her friends Crick and Lissa still have not grown their wings. Then Ripple is bitten by one of the insect-beasts and is rescued by a strange humpbacked old woman named Ivy. Together with Ivy, Ripple and her family must survive the crossing of the forbidden lands to reach the river. How they cross, and how Ripple finds her magic, provides real excitement as well as humor. And the conclusion, with the revelation of Ivy's identity and Ripple's specialness, will certainly leave readers hoping for more adventures of Ripple and the Moth-Kin. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.