Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

Author: Matthew Skelton
ISBN # 0141382392
Publisher: Puffin
First Published: 2006
442 pages

Who or what is Endymion Spring? A power for good, or for evil...A legendary book that holds the secret to a world of knowledge...A young boy without a voice - whose five-hundred-year-old story is about to explode in the twenty-first century...Blake is visiting Oxford with his academic mother and his kid sister. While their mum immerses herself in olde worlde volumes, Blake feels trapped in the dusty air of the college library. Until one day, Blake is running his finger along the shelf and feels something pierce his finger, drawing blood - like a bite. The book responsible is a battered old volume, with a strange clasp like a serpent's head - with real fangs. Printed on its front are two words: Endymion Spring. Its paper is almost luminous - blank, wordless, but with a texture that seems to shine, and fine veins running through it. The paper quivers, as if it's alive. And as Blake looks, words begin to appear on the page - words meant only for him; words no one else can see. The book has been waiting five-hundred years for the right boy; now it must fulfil its destiny...

This is The Da Vinci Code for kids! There’s mystery, intrigue and excitement on every page as Blake tries to discover the secret of Endymion Spring. Part historical, part contemporary fiction, the narrative blends seamlessly between two eras and the two boys living in them, linked by a strange, dusty book and the secret it protects. Not only is this a joy to read, but the book itself is beautiful, with its scaly dragonhide cover – this is truly a book-lover’s book!

Rating: 7