Review #41: Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

Title: Skelton, Matthew. Endymion Spring. Delacorte Press. 2006. 392 pages. Paperback $14.92. ISBN 978-0-385-73456-1

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 6.3/Grades 5-8
Series:
Similar Titles: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Have you ever read a book and wanted to know just as badly how it ended but also how it came to be? Then Endymion Spring is the book for you!

 

In a tale about the search of two children for a book of all the knowledge that Adam and Eve gained, and subsequently lost, in the Garden of Eden, after tasting the forbidden fruit, just as much time and presence is given to the story of how they came to know about it (which takes place in the 15^th century) versus how they go about searching for it (in the modern day) and the dangers they encounter. With mysterious literary societies, suspicious librarians, The Person in Shadow whose soul has gone bad for destructive want of the knowledge within the book, devils and 15^th century printers and dangers coming from all sides, both story lines are enough to each fill their own novels. So you better make sure you are paying attention, or you will miss something, or like me, you’ll get confused and find it difficult to keep both story lines straight.

 

There is a strong theme of the importance of knowledge but also the responsibility and dangers that can come with it, both for author, distributor and reader. The journey that Duck and Blake take to find the book, as well as Endymion Spring's struggle with his conscience, are representative of that struggle, but also of how we, as people, develop and find out true selves during the journey and through the adversity that can come with it.

Definitely written for a more mature audience, I see this title as being a challenge for 5^th graders, but 8^th graders will most definitely enjoy the magic, adventure and danger, while being able to see the two storylines for what they are, no matter how far they are from the two storylines meeting. Children of this age tend to think better in the abstract and this is a great novel to keep them guessing, as long as they don't get tangled in the details. Now I’m off to read it a second time, hoping this time, I can keep it all straight!