Midnight on Strange Street

Ormsbee (The House in Poplar Wood) sets her latest story in Callaway, Tex., where a mysterious substance called Component G—“glow”—was discovered decades earlier to commercial success. It powers glowboards (for one application), and allows the four Sardines, a glowboard team from Cedar Lane (called “Strange Street” following the appearance of an unexplainable phenomenon), to compete against their obnoxious and well-funded rivals whose sponsor, the head of Gloworks, keeps them well-supplied with the newest in glow technology. When the Sardines discover that they possess telekinetic powers and can hear each other’s thoughts, they feel sure they can win an upcoming glowboard competition, but a government agency plans to use them as weapons to end a terrible war being fought around the world. Though the complicated plot and multiple third-person narratives slow the lengthy story’s pace, the four protagonists have compelling challenges: controlling their newfound abilities, training for their upcoming race, and navigating familial issues. The tale picks up toward the end, when the kids use their collective powers to stop the real enemies, and the idea and execution of glowboarding is great fun. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. (Jan.) [/em]