The First Book of Ore

February 10, 2014
Baity and Zelkowicz, animators and artistic collaborators whose credits include work on such shows as Robot Chicken and Moral Orel, make their fiction debut with this richly imagined fantasy, first in a trilogy. Twelve-year-old Phoebe Plumm lives in the lap of luxury, in a world filled with amazing technological advances, whose secrets are jealously guarded by the Foundry. When Foundry agents kidnap Phoebe’s father, she and the Plumm Estate “grease monkey,” annoying 10-year-old Micah, follow. Plunged into a world of living metal and machinery, the two encounter numerous dangers, as well as a mechanical companion, the erratic Dollop. Baity and Zelkowicz have created a memorable setting that owes less to steampunk than an atmosphere of retro-futurism, and the authors’ prose is stuffed with lavish descriptions (“The brasslands stretched as far as the eye could see, a golden ocean roiling in the breeze, crashing up against corkscrew spires”). The plot drags at times as the heroes slog from one situation to the next, and some twists are quite obvious, but it’s still a solid start to the series, filled with storytelling potential. Ages: 8–12. Agent: Gotham Group.

March 15, 2014
A spoiled 12-year-old girl discovers that her country stands on a metal foundation "built from the bones of a murdered world." Phoebe Plumm lives a life of ease in Meridian, amusing herself with vengeful pranks and high-tech gadgets. Her father, Dr. Jules Plumm, does "something really important" at the Foundry, a company at the peak of technological innovation. But when a mysterious stranger starts following Phoebe, she and her father end up being whisked away by a series of mechanical Watchmen into a labyrinthine adventure. Phoebe's fellow traveler, former servant-turned-sidekick Micah Tanner, manages to cause friction as often as he saves the day. As this trilogy opener develops, readers will see Phoebe transform herself from a self-acknowledged "stuck-up, pampered little brat" into an assertive mensch, astute to the flaws of the world that she lives in and ready to take on any enemies that come her way. Debut authors Baity and Zelkowicz are both film animators, and here, they work together to create an easily visualized, rollicking ride that explores the dynamics of power and resistance in various incarnations--both human and metallic. Given this background, it's not too surprising that there are moments when the story feels like a movie with too many special effects. An edgy, fast-moving, Seuss-ian political allegory for a new generation. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-Phoebe Plumm lives in Meridian, a society controlled by the Foundry, a powerful corporation churning out unbelievable technology. Her father is an executive there, and his secretive work means that he is often away from home. Lonely, but incredibly spoiled, the 12-year-old spends her time playing pranks on Micah, a household servant, until she and her father are kidnapped by Foundry men. With Micah's help, Phoebe escapes and the two set off on a rescue mission. As they traverse the landscape of a peculiar world called Mehk, they discover that the metal Meridian uses for its technology is not mined, but rather harvested from intelligent beings who have their own language, culture, and even religion. Phoebe is horrified by her father's work and is determined to make things right. The authors have created an imaginative and profound world. The descriptions of the Mekhans are so original and detailed, readers might think these creatures actually exist. "Despite his attire, he was anything but human. His limbs were long, flexible hoses of tarnished metal, and instead of a lantern on his head, the lantern was his head." Combining elements of fantasy and steampunk, The Foundry's Edge explores how the exploitation and destruction of one group unfairly advances another. A fine addition to any middle grade collection.-Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Grades 5-8 The Foundry, a metal-forging behemoth, controls the world's supply of trinkets, fashion, construction materials, vehicles, and, of course, weapons. Phoebe's father is one of its most powerful players, and when he's kidnapped by mysterious bespectacled animatrons, she and her nemesis turned friend, Micah, follow him into the depths of Mekh, a hidden world full of living metal. As Phoebe and Micah search the strange metallic environment, they realize that the Foundry hasn't invented anything; it has merely plundered Mekh for its resources and enslaved its population. With a few new metal friends, the teens seek out Phoebe's father, and she struggles to accept the part he has played in Mekh's destruction. Baity and Zelkowicz put their experience as animators to work, describing the alien metal world and its mind-bendingly outlandish denizens with such an eye for visual detail that they clatter to life on the page. The imaginative world, whirlwind adventure, tense emotional stakes, and some well-placed laughs put this first in a planned series in the same stack as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
A rescue attempt gone wrong drops snobby outcast Phoebe Plumm and her tech-savvy servant, Micah, into a hidden world of living metal ravaged by The Foundry, an unethical corporation from their own world that has monopolized metal production. While young steampunk fans may be enchanted by the all-metal ecosystem, the clunky slang and flat characterization give the trilogy-starter less general appeal.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)