Windblowne by Stephen Messer Ages 9-12 304 pages Random House May 2010 Hardcover     Every kite Oliver touches slams into the ground in ruins. In the city of Windblowne, where the inhabitants live in the trees and worship the winds, the kite is king - especially as the Festival of Kites quickly approaches. Oliver’s lack of kite-flying and kite-smithing is an embarrassment to the bungling young lad, until the day he finds out his Great Uncle Gilbert was once champion kitesmith. Determined to learn from the best, Oliver heads out in search of the uncle who stormed off in a fury some forty years ago over some kite business and hasn’t been seen since. No sooner does Oliver find his long lost relation than he stumbles upon a mystery involving kites like no other. Led by a simple long-tailed crimson kite with a mind of its own, Oliver witnesses a strange attack where kites, like killer hawks, take over Great Uncle Gilbert’s tree house. Along with a boy who Oliver swears looks just like himself, the old man disappears. With the help of his crimson friend, Oliver jumps straight into the dangerous night winds, thus beginning a fantastical journey across alternate worlds. There he meets his look-alike, Oliver Two, and Great Uncle Gilbert’s evil counterpart, Lord Gilbert, whose plan is to spread his vast knowledge through every dimension. Unfortunately, his plan is steadily draining the life-force from the oaks which have kept the people of Windblowne and beyond safe for centuries. Can an unskilled kite flyer take on Lord Gilbert and his high-tech hunter kites in a battle to maintain life? Windblowne is a high-flying fantasy set between the counter-worlds of author Stephen Messer’s soaring imagination. One can’t help but take wing alongside young Oliver in his race to save civilization as he knows it. After reading Windblowne a windy day will never seem the same again. Add a kite to the mix, and you never know what adventure awaits when the next breeze blows.     web reviews   Niki Masse Schoenfeldt/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)