The Book Shelf: From the Stratford Public Library
The Curse of Akkad
by Peter Christie
144 pages
@ SPL: J 551.609 Chr

Who, or what, was Akkad, and what, exactly, was its curse?
Akkad was the first known human empire, and it was destroyed by a sudden, deadly, prolonged drought. Akkad’s citizens fled, and in the dry decades that followed, the cities of the ancient empire, located in Mesopotamia, were covered by sand and dust. People believed that an angry sky god had cursed Akkad. Author Peter Christie claims that this “curse”, in the form of extreme climate change or upheaval, has continued to influence the course of human history.
Serious drought conditions were likely responsible for the destruction of a number of other civilizations, such as Harappan, in the Indus Valley. In northern Peru, however, a sudden series of rainstorms caused by an El Nino brought so much flooding of crops that the people of the ancient Moche civilization starved – and the empire fell into ruins.
Extreme weather has also shaped some of the major battles, wars and revolutions of history. Many ships sailing in the mighty Spanish Armada were blown off course or destroyed by the gales of an El Nino storm – and England was saved. The French Revolution began after peasants rioted in the streets, starving after suffering massive weather-related crop failures. And the unusually bitter winter of 1941, caused by an El Nino in the eastern Pacific, caused the German army to fail in the Battle of Moscow – a turning point in the course of the Second World War.
Readers will also discover how climate upheavals also helped to bring about the Black Death, the Great Fire of London, the vicious witch hunts of the Middle Ages, and various other events. This book is a fascinating read for young and old – but rather scary too. Why? It’s because climate upheaval will very likely continue in our world – in addition to the relatively new threat of global warming.

** Recommended for ages 11 years and up.

The Time Thief
by Linda Buckley-Archer 491 pages
@ SPL: J FIC Buckl

Gideon the Cutpurse, the first book in the Gideon Trilogy, ended with Peter, a 12-year old boy from the 21st century, stranded in the year 1763. The Time Thief continues the story. Peter is now middle-aged, for the year is 1792. When Peter’s father and Kate (his fellow time traveller from the first book) arrive to rescue him, Peter is reluctant to co-operate, preferring to be rescued instead as a boy from 1763. However, the time settings on the machine were wrong – and now the machine is entirely broken. Who in the 18th century can help fix such a machine? Are Kate, Peter and Peter’s father doomed to stay in this time and place?
The plot of this story is full of twists, turns and surprises to keep readers guessing. The result is an intriguing time travel story with adventure, suspense and a secondary crime plot that features Tar, a thief, or “cutpurse”, from 18th-century England. It’s a thought-provoking story, too, forcing the reader to consider if he or she would act in a similar manner to Peter.
With a length of 491 pages, this book may be a challenge for some – but it’s a well-written story that’s worth the time and effort. (In fact, this is a sequel that’s even better than its prequel.)

** Recommended for ages 12 to 16 years.

– Sally Hengeveld, librarian