The Boy Who Knew Everything

July 1, 2015
While no one knows everything, this follow-up volume to The Girl Who Could Fly (2008) has the same great premise as the first: that special gifts can be wonderful and also cause a peck of trouble. Conrad Harrington III is supersmart, but he definitely doesn't know what the future holds. Piper McCloud, the girl who could fly and the heroine of the first book, is back with her loving parents, who seem to gladly take on the whole crew of exceptional friends who met at evil Dr. Letitia Hellion's school, where they were being treated to become "more normal." Conrad's work on a time-travel machine pays off in a crisis, and the group of gifted kids coalesces around the idea of using their special abilities to prevent disasters and rescue others in need. Unfortunately, this attracts attention, and Conrad's mother, currently the first lady of the United States, arrives, saying Conrad's sister is in peril, and only Conrad can save her. Conrad is off to the rescue, taking readers beyond science fiction and into fantasy as events unfold. Classic quest elements are present, as is the unending battle between good and evil. Forester provides plenty of action, engagingly spunky (if fairly two-dimensional) characters, and sufficient length to bring resolution to most elements of the plot, though sometimes at the expense of logic. While critical thinkers may not find this particularly coherent, those willing to go with the flow will enjoy the ride. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-The long-awaited follow-up to The Girl Who Could Fly (Feiwel & Friends, 2008) finds Piper ("the girl who could fly") and Conrad ("the boy who knew everything") living in relative calm on Piper's family farm. Some time has passed since they and their fellow exceptional children escaped Dr. Hellion's prison of a school, yet the calm lasts only briefly as a few disparate events quickly unfold and turn everything upside down. In quick succession, the near death of Piper's beloved father, his father's election to the presidency, and a successful experiment in time-bending spurs Conrad to finally step up as leader of their band of misfit children. Under Conrad's tutelage, the kids carry out anonymous goodwill missions in response to fishy "natural" disasters. Yet their mission proves far from straightforward. Who is behind these disasters? Is there indeed a secret place where exceptional kids are free to be themselves? As in its predecessor, this installment straddles the real and the imagined. At times, this blend coalesces beautifully, but often it proves a bit clunky. The folksy colloquialisms uttered by Piper and her parents still feel out of place, leaving readers a little unsettled as to the setting. Its greatest strength emerges when the tale balances quiet moments of self-realization, identity, and friendship with an action-packed plot. VERDICT Fans of The Girl Who Could Fly will embrace this sequel.-Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

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