Mark Oakley is the author of the long-running comic book Thieves and Kings. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
John Mantha is the award-winning illustrator of more than a dozen books for young readers. He lives in Toronto.
Grade 4–8—Through a book that's part role-playing game, part nonfiction text, readers follow the lives of the villagers of Port Haven in the year 1362. A cataclysmic storm forces them to relocate after their town washes away. Six survivors with special skills are identified as the experts who will lead this endeavor, including the blacksmith and the cobbler; the "seventh expert" is the reader, who has been chosen for his or her decision-making skills. Each chapter represents a year of village life, with instructions for continuing game play at the end of the chapter. It requires a six-sided die and paper to keep score. In addition to dealing with random events such as the plague and bad weather, players have to use the appended "Experts' Catalog" to shop for items needed to sustain life and build the village. The game is somewhat similar to the famed Oregon Trail but with intriguing tidbits about medieval life. It is easy to learn, and random events offer enough variation for players to see different outcomes each time they play. The story, along with the occasional informational sidebars and the excellent descriptions of medieval necessities, paints a realistic portrait of an English town in the Middle Ages and shows the grim nature of the feudal system. The full-color illustrations add to readers'/players' understanding. This title could easily be used by a class or by individuals, either for recreation or for research.—Kathleen Meulen, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA
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