THE MOON KEY

Author: J.R. Stampfl ISBN: 0843956194 11/2005 YOUNG ADULT Publisher: SMOOCH

The abandoned baby was wrapped in a hotel towel with a Wendy's napkin attached. "Please take care of her. We'll be back," the napkin said. Thus she was christened Wendy Hilton. Thirteen years she's spent waiting for her parents to return. Today, Wendy's done waiting. She's about to become her own heroine. For around her neck is.THE MOON KEY. Small and silver, Wendy's only memento of her parents is a crescent-shaped pendant that opens the door to a new world-a magical world. But Wendy's powers come with a cost. She's being tested for some reason, and she doesn't know why. Are her parents involved? Wendy wants to be a heroine, but first she must learn the true meaning of courage.and the sacrifices we make to protect the people we love.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

In this fantasy offering from Smooch, Wendy Hilton, a foster child with little self-esteem, receives an invitation on her 13th birthday to join L.A.T.C.H. (the Lunar Arena of Transformation, Concentration and Hope). This magical organization carries Wendy away at night to various locations around New York City to give her lessons on assorted magical talents. One fellow member of L.A.T.C.H., Phillip, seems determined to sabotage Wendy's chances in L.A.T.C.H. and she's not sure why. Somehow it seems connected to a mysterious woman, Serena, with which Wendy has been compared. Now, Phillip is threatening her as well as her foster brothers and she'll do anything to keep them safe.

Filled with adventure and suspense, THE MOON KEY will attract teen fantasy readers, especially females. While some things are predictable (such as Wendy's relation to Serena), overall I think the originality of the magical lessons in such places as the Central Park Zoo, Yankee Stadium, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art overshadow that flaw. Some unanswered questions and foreshadowing leave ample room for a sequel. While THE MOON KEY might not be for the typical reader of Smooch novels, I think it will find a home among those readers who enjoy reading fantasy.

Kendra Patterson