Isabel Allende releases first children's book

Isabel Allende releases first children's book
By MARIA-BELEN MORAN
Associated Press Writer
"City of the Beasts" (HarperCollins Juvenile Books, 240 pages, $19.99) -- Isabel Allende
Fifteen-year-old Alexander Cold reluctantly accompanies his journalist grandmother to the South American jungle. His fearless grandmother is part of team hired by National Geographic to search for a legendary beast that's been recently spotted.
During the trip, Alexander and Nadia Santos, the daughter of the team's guide who claims she can communicate with animals and spirits, are kidnapped by Indians who tell them they have been chosen by the gods to save the tribe from extinction. But before they can do so, they have to let go of their fears, learn to trust their instincts and accept challenges that could put their lives in danger.
This is the plot of Isabel Allende's first book aimed at young adults. It may not sound original, but when you add Allende's magical realism, a sense of adventure, humor and vivid descriptions, the result is an enchanting work that may attract adult readers as well.
Allende, whose "The House of the Spirits" was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, fills this captivating tale with characters similar to those in her novels. There's the skeptic, the spiritual one and a woman who, beneath her tough and independent appearance cares and loves her family, but just doesn't know how to show it.
Ever-conscious of her teen readers, Allende describes the characters in simple ways. In her adult books, the characters are more nuanced. In "City of the Beast," they are more clearly defined -- the good are good, the bad are bad. But their descriptions are pitch perfect.
"Kate was sixty-four years old, thin and muscular. ... Her gray hair, which she herself cut without looking in the mirror, stood out in every direction, as if it had never been combed. She was proud of her teeth, large and strong enough to crack walnuts and pop bottle caps. ... Winter and summer she wore the same baggy trousers and a sleeveless jacket covered with pockets in which she carried everything she needed to survive in case of a disaster. On the rare occasions when she needed to get dressed up, she took off the vest and put on a necklace of bear's teeth."
The messages contained within "City of the Beast" also clearly target young adults. Through Alexander, Allende tells youngsters to stay away from drugs. She points them instead to music and how it can appease enemies. She also exalts the importance of sports. She says everyone can benefit from teamwork and the clear thinking that sports offer.
A glossary would have been helpful to keep track of all the Native Indian names. The descriptions are enjoyable with the odors, colors and weather in the jungle faithfully and honestly re-created.
The book's biggest weakness is that readers have to go through half the book before getting to the real plot -- the kidnapping of the teenagers.
But there's enough action during the first half to keep you turning the pages. The team faces transportation problems that force them to stop their cruise along the river and camp in the jungle, team members get injured and the young people start having visions that will later be explained.
It's also fun to learn how Indians take advantage of their surroundings to get and preserve their food, use plants as medicine and weapons, and preserve their lives in almost the same ways they have for centuries.
"City of the Beasts" is the first book of a trilogy Allende has planned for young adults. The second, "Kingdom of the Golden Dragon," already has been written and is expected to be released next year.