Emerald Atlas

A bit of disclosure: I once worked in a bookstore. It was around the time that Harry Potter was coming out in movie form, and JK Rowling was ever-delaying the release of her next book. The hordes of crazed parents wanting the next book, or asking for one of the other books (after ignoring the giant stacks of them directly in front of their faces) turned me off from reading the Harry Potter series.

With that in mind I introduce you to the Emerald Atlas. If you believe the hype, it has a chance to replace Harry Potter in kidlit lore (not sure why I believe the hype since I didn't read Harry Potter, see above). The Emerald Atlas is the story of three children, orphans, who are sent to a new orphanage in Cambridge Falls. It is an odd place since there are no other children there, and it seemed to appear out of nowhere. What happens next is a story of time travel, and fighting against evil.

Kate, Michael, and Emma are unaware of how (or why) they are time traveling. Along the way they find out the town of Cambridge Falls is being held captive by an evil Countess. She discovers who the kids are, and how they are important in the grand scheme of things. Later the kids meet a mysterious Dr. Pym who reveals some of their past, as well as some of their future. The hunt is on for the (Emerald) Atlas, and the other two Books of Beginning that have been hidden away by magicians for hundreds of years. I'll stop there for fear or revealing too much of the plot.

Rating: 5 of 5. Different from my other Mock Newbery contenders, but has a chance. Harry Potter fans may scoff at how good it is, and the comparisons, but it seems to fit for me!