Luka and the Fire of Life

Using a format that combines video game-like progress with mythology and pop-culture references, Rushdie weaves together a wonderfully rich and most enjoyable story about a young boy who goes on a quest to save his father. While the 12-year-old Luka encounters many obstacles as he struggles to complete the journey, he receives assistance from both the denizens of the magic world and his real-world companions, a bear named Dog and a dog named Bear. Narrator Lyndam Gregory, who previously read Rushdie's Midnight's Children for Recorded Books, brings an excellent storytelling voice to this audio that allows listeners to imagine that they, too, are hearing a favorite childhood adventure story. For juvenile and/or YA collections. [See Prepub Exploded, BookSmack! 5/6/10; the Vintage pb will publish in June 2011.—Ed.]—J. Sara Paulk, Wythe-Grayson Reg. Lib., Independence, VA