The Secret Spiral

Gr 4—6—For 10-year-old Flor Bernoulli, life is about to spin out of control. Literally. She loves indulging in the conically shaped pies from the shop around the corner in her New York City neighborhood, but she's about to find out that Dr. Pi is a lot more than a baker: he is guardian of the Spiral, can peek around the corners of time, and is being chased by someone who wants to steal the fire, the spark that keeps the world alive. With changes in time and space through Dr. Pi's magical hat, Flor travels to Paris (and meets her father for the first time), encounters the keeper of the fire, and helps save strange Mr. Bit and Mr. It. In the midst of these happenings, she discovers a book about her family, learns that they have always been intertwined with the Spiral, and sees that it is writing her life story as her adventures ensue. It is a journey of self-discovery for Flor as well as an attempt to save the Spiral. The characters are unique, such as thin Mrs. Plump, who believes that everyone should consume tea and toast and ends up on this strange journey, but it's difficult to get attached to them. The novel lacks in excitement, especially since the true villain doesn't show up until the epilogue. The book reads as if attempting to teach some math facts through a story, yet the math is not specific enough to learn from and the story ends up feeling contrived.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA