Ship of Souls

Synopsis

About the Author Born in Canada, Zetta Elliott moved to Brooklyn in 1994 to pursue her PhD in American studies at New York University. Her poetry and essays have been published in several anthologies, and her plays have been staged in New York, Chicago, and Cleveland. She wrote the award-winning picture book Bird and the young adult novel A Wish After Midnight. She currently lives in Brooklyn.Benjamin L. Darcie has been on the stage since he was six years old, performing in everything from musicals to Shakespeare. He drifted from the stage to the screen, acting in and directing short films, as well as doing voiceover work and narration for trailers, films, and audio projects. He currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Product Description When Dmitri, an eleven-year-old bird-watcher and math whiz, loses his mother to breast cancer, he is taken in by Mrs. Martin, an elderly white woman. Unaccustomed to the company of kids his own age, D struggles at school and feels like an outcast until a series of unexpected events changes the course of his life. First, D is asked to tutor the school’s basketball star, Hakeem, who will get benched unless his grades improve. Against the odds, the two boys soon realize they have something in common: they are both taunted by kids at school, and they both have a crush on Nyla, a beautiful but fierce eighth-grade girl. Then Nyla adopts D and invites him to join her entourage of “freaks.” Finally, D discovers an injured bird and brings it home from the park.D is stunned when the strange bird speaks to him and reveals that she is really a guiding spirit that has been held hostage by ghost soldiers who died in Brooklyn at the start of the American Revolution. As Nuru’s chosen host, D must carry her from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan, but the ghost soldiers won’t surrender their prize without a fight.With the help of Hakeem and Nyla, D battles the Nether Beings who lurk underground, feeding off centuries of rage and pain. But it takes an unexpected ally to help the trio reach the ship that will deliver the innocent souls of the dead back to Nuru’s realm. An urban fantasy infused with contemporary issues and historical facts, Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott will keep teen readers gripped until the very end. From School Library Journal Gr 6-8-Dmitri (D), an 11-year-old African American boy, has had a rough start to his short life. Raised and homeschooled in New York City by his protective mother, D has never known his father and has not had many friends. When his mother dies of cancer, D is sent to foster care and enrolled in public school. His foster mother is a kind elderly white woman who is preoccupied with fostering a crack-addicted baby. D finds a home in middle school with the math club, where he excels. He becomes friendly with Nyla, a beautiful eighth grade girl with multiple piercings, and Hakeem, a Muslim basketball player. D finds an injured bird, Nuru, who is actually a mystical being charged with rescuing the trapped souls of dead African American soldiers from the Revolutionary War. When he tries to help Nuru with his mission, D is attacked by Nether Beings, and the three friends begin a dangerous adventure to the African Burial Grounds in lower Manhattan and into the realm of the dead. Benjamin L. Darcie's narration is spot-on, and he does an especially great job of capturing the frustrated voice of Hakeem, upset at being called a terrorist because of his religious beliefs. Elliott's urban fantasy (AmazonEncore, 2012) presents historical facts and touches on many contemporary issues such as poverty, war, and racism.-Julie Paladino, East Chapel Hill High School, NCα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.