Balance Keepers, Book 2: The Pillars of Ponderay

by Lindsay Cummings

Overview

This second book in the Balance Keepers series, by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lindsay Cummings, explodes with just as much magic, mystery, friendship, and humor as the first one. Fans of books like Brandon Mull’s The Candy Shop War or the Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann will love the action and imagination in this epic fantasy-adventure series.

With both boy and girl main characters, creatures like Hammerfin sharks to battle, a traitor to expose, and a boarding school that could be described as Hogwarts Underground, there’s something for every reader to enjoy in this series reminiscent of the classic Journey to the Center of the Earth. An anti-bullying theme also makes this great for in-classroom reading.

In The Pillars of Ponderay, Balance Keepers Albert, Birdie, and Leroy enter the underground watery Realm of Ponderay along with their archrival, Hoyt, in an attempt to reset the Balance of the Realm. If they don’t succeed in time, all of California above could be consumed by tsunamis and hurricanes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062275233
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/22/2015
Series:	Balance Keepers , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	967 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lindsay Cummings is a book blogger and the author of the teen series the Murder Complex. She lives in Texas with two German shepherds, one wolf cub who isn't very smart, a horse named Dan the Man, and a husband named Josh. She eats too many hot Cheetos and can't stop dyeing her hair crazy colors.

Editorial Reviews

Full of adventure, strange creatures, and personal conflict, this sequel to The Fires of Calderon (2014) surpasses the original. Nonstop action and plenty of twists propel the plot and pave the way for the next installment.” — ALA Booklist

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “There are some engaging elements in this first book of a planned trilogy...Brisk plotting and multiple action scenes...a satisfying choice.” — School Library Journal

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “Reminiscent at times of Journey to the Center of the Earth...a smart choice for younger readers, who will find in Albert and his friends great role models.” — ALA Booklist

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “Balance Keepers transported me, as if my magic, into a world I didn’t want to leave and wished was real. Fast-paced and packed with adventure-a real gem.” — Patrick Carman, bestselling author of the Skeleton Creek series and the Floors trilogy

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “A powerhouse debut filled with imagination and sneaky humor.” — Peter Lerangis, New York Times bestselling author of the Seven Wonders series

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “A wild, enchanting adventure I could not put down.” — Roland Smith, author of Peak and Cryptid Hunters

From the Publisher

Full of adventure, strange creatures, and personal conflict, this sequel to The Fires of Calderon (2014) surpasses the original. Nonstop action and plenty of twists propel the plot and pave the way for the next installment.

ALA Booklist

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “Balance Keepers transported me, as if my magic, into a world I didn’t want to leave and wished was real. Fast-paced and packed with adventure-a real gem.

Patrick Carman

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “A powerhouse debut filled with imagination and sneaky humor.

Peter Lerangis

Praise for BALANCE KEEPERS #1: THE FIRES OF CALDERON: “A wild, enchanting adventure I could not put down.

Roland Smith

2015-05-18
Following The Fires of Calderon (2014), Albert and the other members of team Hydra are once again called upon to bring balance to the Earth's Core. An unprecedented number of tremors off the coast of California prompts an emergency meeting of Balance Keepers. But while team Hydra might be the First Unit for the Realm of Calderon, they must compete for the right to enter Ponderay. And unfortunately their competition is none other than their old nemesis, team Argon. The imbalances, while potentially disastrous, are only part of the problem. Professor Flynn (aka Albert's father) reveals that there is a traitor in their midst. He also warns Albert to be extra careful. As the wielder of the Master Tile, a mystical device that gives him virtually unlimited superpowers, Albert is particularly at risk. An ambitious concept is unfortunately hampered by lackluster writing, forgettable characters, and awkward dialogue. This subterranean adventure draws heavily upon other, more successfully executed series. And while the familiar plot and artificial tension are problems enough, even worse is that Albert and his friends hardly seem like potential global saviors. Instead of inspiring her readers, Cummings inadvertently talks down to them. Derivative and labored. (Adventure. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews