Journey to Rainbow Island

February 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-Eleven-year-old Yu-ning lives an idyllic life on Rainbow Island. Though she does not know who her parents are or what has become of them, she is lovingly cared for by the adults on the island and all of the other children look up to her. The perfection of the island is marred when the evil sorcerer Hobaling revives the race of dragons called Obsidigons, thought to have been destroyed a hundred years ago in the Great Obsidigon War. Yu-ning is called upon to fight using the light and love inside her heart, because she is one of a race of warriors known as Darq Renders. She must first leave Rainbow Island to locate a legendary weapon, her only hope for destroying the dragons. As Yu-ning journeys from one island to another, she meets a variety of people beset by various problems, but she is always able to solve them by helping others discover their faith and the light inside their own hearts. This preachy story has little to recommend it: characters are flat, either all-wise and good like Yu-ning and her teachers, weak and easily converted by Yu-ning's superior wisdom, or entirely evil. The contrived plot moves from one episode to the next in a predictable fashion, though contrary to the title, Yu-ning spends most of the book journeying away from Rainbow Island, and the final conflict takes place in the Imperial City. Stilted dialogue makes the story even less engaging, and the computer-generated illustrations add little to the book. Readers looking for fantasy with strong and diverse characters should instead try Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix (HarperCollins, 2009) or Alison Goodman's Eon (Viking, 2008).-Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2013
Grades 5-8 Starting on a distinctly mysterious note, Hsiao's first epic adventure takes readers on an enchanting ride through her completely original world. Leader of the children of Rainbow Island, heroine Yu-Ning embarks on a quest to save her home and friends from a long-dead dragon called the obsidigon. Raised from the dead by an evil wizard whose exploits are introduced immediately, the obsidigon is just frightening enough for younger readers. Yu-Ning's travels make for a kid-appropriate saga with a cast of clearly defined good and evil characters, and intermittent black-and-white illustrations help give shape to the mystical creatures and imaginary world. The ending is left open for a sequel, but the book can easily stand alone. The story at large is hope-filled and idealistic, and the vocabulary is suitably epic, though the book should be targeted for slightly more advanced readers. Young fantasy lovers will find a lot to like in Hsiao's rich surroundings and large cast of characters as well as the determined, brave, and empowering Yu-Ning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)