Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Through-the looking-glass adventure not very original.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
An orphaned Brit now living in Atlanta with his distracted aunt, 11-year-old Darwen Arkwright spots a bizarre flying creature at the mall and follows it to a mysterious shop that sells nothing but mirrors. From the odd proprietor, Mr. Peregrine, Darwen receives a small mirror and hangs it on his closet door. At night, the mirror becomes a portal to an enchanted world, and when monsters from the other side threaten to spill out into our reality, Darwen and his friends must act to prevent a full-scale invasion.
Is It Any Good?
DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT follows too closely the J.K. Rowling template. Although Darwen is from working-class Northern England and his adventures take place in Atlanta, GA, he and the new friends he's made at private Hillside Academy, fellow outsiders Alexandra and Rich, are a little too reminiscent of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Author A.J. Hartley keeps the action moving steadily forward, but the plot doesn't achieve liftoff until its final chapters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how difficult it might be for a biracial kid (one of his parents was white, the other black) from working-class England to adjust to a well-to-do private school in Atlanta. What are some of the cultural differences that set someone like Darwen Arkwright apart from his schoolmates?
One group of inhabitants of the mirror-world is stuck in the past, while another only looks forward to the future. What are some of the drawbacks to these approaches to life?
How can figures of authority, such as those at Darwen's school, abuse their power? What can students do to assert their rights?
Book Details
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