Waiting on Wednesday - Atlantis Rising by T.A. Barron

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which we share the titles of books we are eagerly anticipating.

Atlantis Rising by T.A. Barron. 384 p. Penguin Young Readers Group, September 26, 2013. 9780399257575.

Publisher synopsis: 

In a magical land called Ellegandia, a young boy named Promi scrapes by, stealing pies, cakes and sweets to survive. But little does he know that his country is a pawn in an ages-old war between good and evil, battled both in the spirit realm and in the human world. Harboring secrets of his own, Promi teams up with a courageous girl named Atlanta and the two vow to save their land—and each other—no matter the cost. But their vow has greater repercussions than they ever could imagine—in fact, it may just bring about the creation of Atlantis, an island cut off from the rest of the world, where magic reigns supreme.

With his trademark action, adventure, and poignancy,master of fantasy, T.A. Barron explores a new mythology—the origin of the legendary isle of Atlantis. This book is perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, Christopher Paolini and, of course, T. A. Barron’s Merlin Saga.

I have been a fan of Barron's ever since I stumbled upon his Young Merlin series early in my school librarian career. I love King Arthur stories and retellings. The idea of imagining Merlin as a young boy just coming in to his powers just tickled me. 

When an eighth grade self-professed, "I hate to read but need to read a book for English and take an Accelerated Reader test," I told him I had just the book he needed. He gave me the bushy eyebrow that said, "We'll see." 

I was surprised to see him a day or so later and asked, "You didn't like it?" He smiled and said it was the best book he ever read, asked to take the test and wanted the next book. By the way, he aced the Accelerated Reader test and he read all seven books in the series.

He was one of my first "I hate to read and what are you gonna do about it?" successes. I'm not always successful but it sure does feel great when I am. This kid would be about 28 or 29 now. I'm not sure if he would remember this encounter, but I always will.

The author is a huge supporter of teachers and librarians so be sure to visit his website and/or subscribe to his newsletter. He's got discussion guides and lots of extras on his website. 

Link to book trailer.

What are you waiting on?