Welcome to Bordertown edited by Holly Black - ADVISABLE

Black, Holly and Ellen Kushner, editors.  Welcome to Bordertown, 516 p. Random House, 2011.  $20.  Language: PG-13 (1 ‘f’’, 20+ other), Mature Content: PG-13 (some sexual content, alcohol, drugs); Violence: G.  From 1986 to 2011, Bordertown has absorbed the influx of teens running from their dreary home lives and sometimes spit them back out, but more often changing them and using them to keep the fantasy alive.  The last foray into Bordertown’s mean streets was in 1998 – and probably any modern urban fantasy writer has read and been influenced by its wonder.  Now the border has reopened and while our world has changed, Bordertown is still ready to take what it wants and transform the rest.  Come along and join the fun.  High school students – especially your moody, black eyeliner wearers will want this badly.  It is especially a nice antidote to today’s popular, but usually derivative works (ie Paolini, Meyer) and better for them as they outgrow Rowling and such.  Let them read this and go back and discover the original masters whose shoes have yet to be filled.  HS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library Teacher