The Icarus Project

Gr 5–7—Maya lives and breathes science. Her mother, a respected anthropologist, often travels abroad to study ancient civilizations, leaving the 13-year-old with her father. When her dad, a paleontologist, is asked to lead an expedition in the Arctic to uncover the possible remains of a woolly mammoth, Maya goes along. The expedition is funded by a wealthy adventurer, and he has included a host of international scientists, some with questionable intentions-one has ties to the Russian mob and another plans to take the mammoth's DNA back to Japan to clone it. Kyle, a boy Maya's age, is accompanying his mother, another scientist on the team. When it turns out that there is no woolly mammoth, but rather a unique mystical creature hidden in the ice, Maya and Kyle decide to join forces to save it from further destructive scientific experimentation. With the first half of the novel grounded firmly in the world of science, the transition to the realm of the magical and improbable in the second half is a bit surprising. However, Maya is an earnest and likable character and the plot is fast-paced enough to hold readers' attention. Maya's curiosity, bravery, and desire to do the right thing will resonate with many readers.—Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY