Hobby

September 1, 1996
Gr 3-6-This second entry in the trilogy begins with the 12-year-old Merlin burying his foster family after they perish in a fire. Devastated by guilt because he had not understood a prophetic dream, he leaves the ruined farm. As he wanders toward a nearby village, he continues dreaming-and the dreams keep coming true, albeit in an oblique and frightening fashion. After a narrow escape from a would-be kidnapper, the boy falls in with a traveling magician and his companion. The man nicknames him Hobby, after a small hawk species. Together, the three journey to Carmarthen, where the lad ends up relating one of his dreams to an audience at the palace. The magician interprets the dreams to a positive end, but the boy knows he has prophesied the duke's death. Later, abandoned by his companions, Hobby gets the chance to tell the truth, but the duke refuses to heed him, and Hobby continues alone upon his life's path. Though little information about Merlin's childhood appears in legend, this tale weaves in names and details that appear in adult versions of the wizard's story: Ambrosius (the magician); Vortigern (the unnamed duke); the vision of fighting dragons. The characters are well drawn and appealing. However, the action moves along so quickly that readers barely get to know them. At 104 pages, this title is maddeningly short. An additional purchase for libraries that own Passager (Harcourt, 1996) (the first installment) or with strong Arthurian collections.-Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, IL

January 1, 1997
Gr. 6^-10. The second installment in the Young Merlin series is challenging and ambitious. It opens with a powerful scene as the beloved adoptive family of young Merlin is killed in a devastating fire. The grieving 12-year-old then sets out into the harsh medieval world. Taking the name of Hawk, he is held captive by a vicious rogue named Fowler. Then renamed Hobby (a raptor bigger than a merlin) by a charlatan, he joins the man's traveling magic show, whose performers try to use the boy's talent for seeing into the future. Like the slender first book, "Passager" (1996), "Hobby" has quiet beauty and strong imagery but has more characters, action, and dialogue. Yolen continues to explore such complicated and subtle issues as memory and identity, leaving questions surrounding Merlin's earliest experiences and ultimate destiny unresolved. The appearance of the book suggests a juvenile audience; however, given the sophisticated themes and style, this may be most accessible to teenage readers. Includes an author's note about "Arthuriana." ((Reviewed January 1 & 15, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)