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Byways #7
Across the Line: A Ganix Johns Adventure
Ewan, Zane, and Ganix--three half-brothers take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland.
Magic isn't the only legacy Mr. Ian Johns wants for his bickering sons. The Postmaster hoped the boys would bond during a family trip, but they twist his vacation plans into a race. Ewan, Zane, and Ganix soon find themselves far from home, facing choices that are far from easy. Three routes stretch from coast to coast. The rules: each brother--and his two companions--must check in at post offices along their route. At these waypoints, they stamp in with their personal seal and report their progress by postcard.
Ganix Johns sails into his next waypoint, ready for more fun. Until he makes the startling discovery that not everyone in Liberty is free. Ganix didn't think he needed permanent teammates, but then he meets someone who needs him. Hurlock is a magician with chains on his ankles, and his wife Galena is about to be sold. In scheming to set them free, Ganix stumbles onto a secret society ... and straight into trouble.
Welcome to Liberty: Big cities and hill-country outposts thrive on busy byways, but people are scarce in the Wilds, where mythical creatures are alive and well. Folks commonly use lanterns to light their homes, and peace is kept by rangers on horseback. In the Byways books, readers will encounter dragons, griffins, river monsters, and rogue magicians.
Magic is a rare trait that runs in families. Some magical gifts are quite useful; others are downright quirky. Like the talent inherited by members of the Johns family. They're Changers who can take the form of an animal. Not that magic will make winning the race any easier for Ewan, Zane, and Ganix.
Educational Twist: Each of the Byways books is tied to one of the fifty states and borrows from its history and geography--icons, mottos, landmarks, people, places, and famous firsts. They're hidden throughout the story, turning the series into one long game of hide-and-seek. At the end of each Byways book, there's a master list that covers everything from the state tree to the state insect. Nicknames, sports teams, state heroes, and national parks also find their way into the story. States are covered in order of ratification. Across the Line takes its cues from "The Old Line State," Maryland.
Chart your course to CJMilbrandt.com, where readers can stamp into the Waypoint Log and take part in a very special Hometown Challenge.
Excerpt:
"That's Hurlock. He's famous around here because of his magic." Luke shook his head. "It's sad."
While Ganix watched, purple fire bloomed in the magician's bare hands, and he sent it whirling over his head. The flames turned into a dragon that twisted through the air. Shoppers stopped to stare. Some clapped. And a few tossed coins into a basket at the edge of the stage. Hurlock thanked them with a gentle smile.
"Sad? He's amazing!"
"He is. But purple fire means a sad day for Hurlock. Can you see his feet?"
Standing up to get a better look, Ganix asked, "Are those chains?"
"Yes. Hurlock is a slave." Luke gave the reins a flip, and they rolled on.
Ganix sat down hard. "I thought everyone in Liberty was free."
The courier's expression was a mix of sad and angry. "Almost everyone."
Magic isn't the only legacy Mr. Ian Johns wants for his bickering sons. The Postmaster hoped the boys would bond during a family trip, but they twist his vacation plans into a race. Ewan, Zane, and Ganix soon find themselves far from home, facing choices that are far from easy. Three routes stretch from coast to coast. The rules: each brother--and his two companions--must check in at post offices along their route. At these waypoints, they stamp in with their personal seal and report their progress by postcard.
Ganix Johns sails into his next waypoint, ready for more fun. Until he makes the startling discovery that not everyone in Liberty is free. Ganix didn't think he needed permanent teammates, but then he meets someone who needs him. Hurlock is a magician with chains on his ankles, and his wife Galena is about to be sold. In scheming to set them free, Ganix stumbles onto a secret society ... and straight into trouble.
Welcome to Liberty: Big cities and hill-country outposts thrive on busy byways, but people are scarce in the Wilds, where mythical creatures are alive and well. Folks commonly use lanterns to light their homes, and peace is kept by rangers on horseback. In the Byways books, readers will encounter dragons, griffins, river monsters, and rogue magicians.
Magic is a rare trait that runs in families. Some magical gifts are quite useful; others are downright quirky. Like the talent inherited by members of the Johns family. They're Changers who can take the form of an animal. Not that magic will make winning the race any easier for Ewan, Zane, and Ganix.
Educational Twist: Each of the Byways books is tied to one of the fifty states and borrows from its history and geography--icons, mottos, landmarks, people, places, and famous firsts. They're hidden throughout the story, turning the series into one long game of hide-and-seek. At the end of each Byways book, there's a master list that covers everything from the state tree to the state insect. Nicknames, sports teams, state heroes, and national parks also find their way into the story. States are covered in order of ratification. Across the Line takes its cues from "The Old Line State," Maryland.
Chart your course to CJMilbrandt.com, where readers can stamp into the Waypoint Log and take part in a very special Hometown Challenge.
Excerpt:
"That's Hurlock. He's famous around here because of his magic." Luke shook his head. "It's sad."
While Ganix watched, purple fire bloomed in the magician's bare hands, and he sent it whirling over his head. The flames turned into a dragon that twisted through the air. Shoppers stopped to stare. Some clapped. And a few tossed coins into a basket at the edge of the stage. Hurlock thanked them with a gentle smile.
"Sad? He's amazing!"
"He is. But purple fire means a sad day for Hurlock. Can you see his feet?"
Standing up to get a better look, Ganix asked, "Are those chains?"
"Yes. Hurlock is a slave." Luke gave the reins a flip, and they rolled on.
Ganix sat down hard. "I thought everyone in Liberty was free."
The courier's expression was a mix of sad and angry. "Almost everyone."
78 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2015
412 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Milbrandt
21 books184 followersC. J. Milbrandt has always believed in miracles, especially small ones. A lifelong bookworm with a love for fairy tales, far-off lands, and fantasy worlds, CJ began spinning adventures of her own on the advice of a dear friend. Her family-friendly stories mingle humor and whimsy with a dash of danger and a touch of magic.
The Galleries of Stone trilogy [A magic master sculptor of Pred descent and the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand. Cozy fantasy.]
Journeymen of Stone [Readers join other Meadowsweets as they go out into the world. More mountains. New cultures. Adventure!]
Byways Books [Ewan, Zane, and Ganix take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland. Chapter books for young readers, beginning around age 6, escalating into middlegrade.]
The Galleries of Stone trilogy [A magic master sculptor of Pred descent and the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand. Cozy fantasy.]
Journeymen of Stone [Readers join other Meadowsweets as they go out into the world. More mountains. New cultures. Adventure!]
Byways Books [Ewan, Zane, and Ganix take sibling rivalry to new lengths as they race each other across their homeland. Chapter books for young readers, beginning around age 6, escalating into middlegrade.]
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2020
:cracks knuckles: OK now this is where I started feeling like Ganix is taking life seriously. Welcome to Ganix's figurative gom jabbar - he finally found an "adventure" bigger then himself that involved personal sacrifice for a greater good he believed in (namely all people should be free, regardless of where they come from or what they can do).
His first Solo adventure (Up the Mountain: A Ganix Johns Adventure found him facing (for what appeared to be the first time) people, who while not hateful towards magic, were certainly wary of it and by extension him. He remarks that he's never hidden his Changer abilities before because people could be scared of him, only because it makes for such a fun trick.
That was good foreshadowing for this book wherein he arrives in a town that has nice people in, but harbors a darker aspect that angers him. Namely slavery. Milbrandt doesn't treat the subject as taboo; while we only get a little glimpse of it its enough to make your blood turn cold as Ganix finally finds two companions worth traveling with.
Of the books so far (and I've read about to Book 8 now) this one also hit me feelings wise the hardest. Maybe because the confusion that Ganix feels is something I can relate to or because he spends half the book worried he's made a mistake by doing this (not offering to help Hurlock and his wife, no moreso that its more then he can handle and it could go badly for them) and seems to have had to mature a little bit.
Either way he's definitely in for a different journey now that he has to think outside of himself and I'm eager to find out how that changes his perspective.
His first Solo adventure (Up the Mountain: A Ganix Johns Adventure found him facing (for what appeared to be the first time) people, who while not hateful towards magic, were certainly wary of it and by extension him. He remarks that he's never hidden his Changer abilities before because people could be scared of him, only because it makes for such a fun trick.
That was good foreshadowing for this book wherein he arrives in a town that has nice people in, but harbors a darker aspect that angers him. Namely slavery. Milbrandt doesn't treat the subject as taboo; while we only get a little glimpse of it its enough to make your blood turn cold as Ganix finally finds two companions worth traveling with.
Of the books so far (and I've read about to Book 8 now) this one also hit me feelings wise the hardest. Maybe because the confusion that Ganix feels is something I can relate to or because he spends half the book worried he's made a mistake by doing this (not offering to help Hurlock and his wife, no moreso that its more then he can handle and it could go badly for them) and seems to have had to mature a little bit.
Either way he's definitely in for a different journey now that he has to think outside of himself and I'm eager to find out how that changes his perspective.
September 4, 2016
The Byways series is an intriguing melding of history, fantasy and education. The Johns brothers’ race across a fantasy version of America (dubbed Liberty) offers a great opportunity for young readers to learn about all 50 states in a fun, easy-to-digest read. I love the way Ms. Milbrandt weaves facts about the real world state into the fantastic version that Ganix is traveling through. I also appreciate that the books include an appendix at the end highlighting and discussing said facts, which gives young readers a reason to read the story again to look for all the little details sprinkled throughout.
Considering how short the book is- only 78 pages- it is packed with interesting characters, and unusual details about the world of Liberty. This can actually get a bit overwhelming at first since there is so much happening. But a second reading- which, again, is definitely encouraged in order to appreciate all the facts the author slipped in- makes everything much clearer.
The Waypoint Log and Hometown Challenge on the author’s blog add a wonderful extra layer of interactivity to the series, allowing kids to create a personalized stamp and even receive postcards from Ganix and his brothers. My children are a bit too young for the Byways series right now, but once they get a little older, I’ll definitely be introducing them to Liberty and the Johns’ siblings.
Considering how short the book is- only 78 pages- it is packed with interesting characters, and unusual details about the world of Liberty. This can actually get a bit overwhelming at first since there is so much happening. But a second reading- which, again, is definitely encouraged in order to appreciate all the facts the author slipped in- makes everything much clearer.
The Waypoint Log and Hometown Challenge on the author’s blog add a wonderful extra layer of interactivity to the series, allowing kids to create a personalized stamp and even receive postcards from Ganix and his brothers. My children are a bit too young for the Byways series right now, but once they get a little older, I’ll definitely be introducing them to Liberty and the Johns’ siblings.
August 19, 2016
I really liked this book. So did my children. There's plenty of action and adventure. And the added bonus of being educationally focused on one of the fifty states! We'll be picking up more of the Johns brothers books so we can develop a feeling for each of them and decide who to root for!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews