Rubinstein, Gillian 1942- (Lian Hearn, Gillian Margaret Rubinstein)

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Rubinstein, Gillian 1942- (Lian Hearn, Gillian Margaret Rubinstein)

PERSONAL:

Born August 29, 1942, in England; daughter of Thomas Kenneth (a research chemist) and Margaret Jocelyn Hanson; married Ion Will (marriage ended); married Philip Eli Rubinstein (a health educator), 1973; children: Matthew, Tessa, Susannah. Education: Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, B.A. (with honors), 1964; Stockwell College, London, postgraduate certificate of education, 1973.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Lynton, Australia. Agent—Caroline Lurie, Australian Literary Management, 2-A Armstrong St., Middle Park, Victoria 3206, Australia.

CAREER:

London School of Economics, London, England, research assistant, 1964-65; Greater London Council, London, administrative officer, 1965-66; Tom Stacey Ltd., London, editor, 1969-71; freelance journalist and film critic, 1971-74; freelance writer, 1986—. Writer-in-residence, Magpie Theatre, 1989, English School Foundation School, Hong Kong, 1998. Member, Australia Fund Literature Council, 1995-98; guest speaker at writer's festivals.

MEMBER:

Australian Society of Authors, National Book Council (Australia).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Honour Book, Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA), and Children's Literature Peace Prize, both 1987, Adelaide Festival of Arts National Children's Book Award, 1988, and Young Australians Best Book Award, 1990, all for Space Demons; Australia Council Literature Board senior fellowship, 1988-92; New South Wales Premier's Award, 1988, and CBCA honour book designation, 1989, both for Answers to Brut; CBCA honour book designation, and Highly Recommended designation, New South Wales Family Therapy Association Family Award, both 1989, both for Melanie and the Night Animal; CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers, 1989, Adelaide Festival of Arts National Children's Book Award, 1990, and Victorian Premier's Alan Marshall Prize shortlist, all for Beyond the Labyrinth; shortlist, CBCA Book of the Year and notable book citation, both 1990, both for Skymaze; CBCA notable book citation, for Flashback, the Amazing Adventures of a Film Horse, and 1992, for Squawk and Screech; CBCA notable book citation, New South Wales State Literary Award shortlist, and Alan Marshall Prize, all 1992, all for At Ardilla; CBCA Book of the Year shortlist and notable book citation, both 1992, both for Dog in, Cat Out; CBCA honour book designation, 1993, Books for the Teen Age citation, New York Public Library, 1996, and Alan Marshall Prize shortlist, and Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 1998, all for Galax-Arena; CBCA Book of the Year shortlist and notable book citation, both 1994, both for The Giant's Tooth; CBCA Book of the Year, New South Wales State Literary Awards shortlist, and Alan Marshall Prize shortlist, all 1996, all for Foxspell; CBCA notable book citation, 1996, for Jake and Pete; AWGIE award for best theatre for young people, 1996, for play Galax-Arena; CBCA Book of the Year Awards shortlist, 1997, for Sharon, Keep Your Hair On!; AWGIE Award nomination, 1998, for Each Beach; South Australia Great Award for Literature, 1998; two Australian Council Literature Board fellowships; Asialink fellowship to Japan, 1999.

WRITINGS:

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Space Demons (novel), Omnibus/Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1986, Dial Books (New York, NY), 1988.

Melanie and the Night Animal, Omnibus/Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1988.

Answers to Brut, Omnibus/Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1988.

Beyond the Labyrinth (novel), Hyland House (Melbourne, Australia), 1988, Orchard (New York, NY), 1990.

Skymaze, Omnibus/Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1989, Orchard (New York, NY), 1991.

Flashback, the Amazing Adventures of a Film Horse, Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1990.

At Ardilla, Omnibus (Adelaide, Australia), 1991.

Keep Me Company, illustrated by Lorraine Hannay, Penguin (Adelaide, Australia), 1991.

Squawk and Screech (chapter book), illustrated by Craig Smith, Omnibus (Adelaide, Australia), 1991.

Dog in, Cat Out, illustrated by Ann James, Omnibus (Adelaide, Australia), 1991.

Mr. Plunkett's Pool (picture book), illustrated by Terry Denton, Mark Macleod/Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1992.

Galax-Arena, Hyland House (Melbourne, Australia), 1992, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1995.

The Giant's Tooth (chapter book), illustrated by Craig Smith, Viking (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1993.

Foxspell, Hyland House (Melbourne, Australia), 1995, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

Jake and Pete (chapter book), illustrated by Terry Denton, Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1995.

Peanut the Pony Rat (chapter book), Heinemann (London, England), 1995.

Shinkei, Omnibus (Adelaide, Australia), 1995.

Sharon, Keep Your Hair On!, illustrated by David Mackintosh, Random House (New York, NY), 1996.

Witch Music (collected short stories), Hyland House (Melbourne, Australia), 1996.

Annie's Brother's Suit (collected short stories), Hyland House (Melbourne, Australia), 1996.

Jake and Pete and the Stray Dogs (chapter book), Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1997.

Under the Cat's Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery (novel), illustrated by Victor Lee, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1997, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

The Fairy's Wings, illustrated by Craig Smith, Penguin (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 1997, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Pure Chance (junior novel), Walker Books (London, England), 1998.

Hurray for the Kafe Karaoke, illustrated by David Mackintosh, Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1998.

The Mermaid of Bondi Beach, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Hodder Children's (Rydalmere, New South Wales, Australia), 1999.

Jake and Pete and the Catcrowbats, illustrated by Terry Denton, Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1999.

Ducky's Nest, illustrated by Terry Denton, Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 1999.

Jake and Pete and the Magpie's Wedding, illustrated by Terry Denton, Random House (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 2000.

Terra Farma (sequel to Galax-Arena), Viking (Ringwood, Victoria, Australia), 2001.

Prue Theroux: The Cool Librarian, illustrated by David Mackintosh, Random House Australia (Milsons Point, New South Wales, Australia), 2001.

The Whale's Child, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002.

NOVELS; "TALES OF THE OTORI" SERIES; UNDER PSEUDONYM LIAN HEARN

Across the Nightingale Floor, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Grass for His Pillow, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2003, Hodder (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2004.

Brilliance of the Moon, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2004, Firebird (New York, NY), 2006.

The Harsh Cry of the Heron, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Heaven's Net Is Wide: The First Tale of the Otori, Riverhead Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Books in the trilogy have been translated into numerous languages.

PLAYS

New Baby, produced at Magpie Theatre, 1989.

Alice in Wonderland (adaptation of the book by Lewis Carroll), produced at Magpie Theatre, 1989.

Melanie and the Night Animal (adaptation of Rubenstein's book), produced at Patch Theatre, 1990.

Paula, produced at Patch Theatre, 1992.

Galax-Arena (adaptation of Rubenstein's book), produced at Patch Theatre, then Adelaide Festival Centre Trust, 1994.

Wake Baby, produced at Queensland Festival of Early Childhood, 1996.

Jake and Pete (adaptation of Rubenstein's book), produced in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1997.

Each Beach, produced at Adelaide Festival Centre, 1997.

Moon Play, produced in Nagoya, Japan, 2004.

Contributor of short stories to anthologies, including After Dark, State of the Heart, Dream Time, Bizarre, Landmarks, The Pattern Maker, and Celebrate, and to periodicals, including Magpies, Literacy for the New Millennium, Island, and Australian.

ADAPTATIONS:

Space Demons was adapted for the stage by Richard Tulloch and produced in Australia, 1989. Film rights to the "Tales of the Otori" novels were sold to Universal Pictures, and the series was recorded as an audiobook released by Highbridge Audio.

SIDELIGHTS:

Australian author Gillian Rubinstein is well known for her science-fiction and fantasy stories in which young people learn through fantastic, often other-worldly experiences about the importance of community and shared responsibility. Her many works for children and young adults focus principally on family and peer relationships, reflecting the author's belief that "the most pain and the most pleasure and the most intense emotions" reside within the family. Rubinstein's protagonists learn to grapple with strong emotions—including fear, love, and hate—and feelings of insecurity in a manner that is considered forthright, positive, and constructive. In books such as Space Demons, Beyond the Labyrinth, and Galax-Arena, as well as the highly acclaimed "Tales of the Otori" series she has published under the pseudonym Lian Hearn, Rubinstein investigates the boundaries between childhood and adulthood as well as between imagination and reality. Her well-written novels "move seamlessly from reality to fantasy," Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers contributor Agnes Nieuwenhuizen stated.

Much of the material Rubinstein draws on comes from her own life. She was born in England during World War II. The author once wrote that she "was always in some dramatic state or other, either deliriously happy or desperately miserable." Rubinstein describes her own family life as uneasy. Her parents were not well matched, and they had many personality conflicts. Her father was a scholar who had entered Oxford University on scholarships and earned his Ph.D. there. He also, Rubinstein once revealed, had a serious drinking problem. Her mother, on the other hand, was a very social woman, partly handicapped by a childhood bout of osteomyelitis.

Gillian and her sister, Jocelyn, found additional support outside their immediate family. Lavendar Helen Hatt-Cook, her husband John, and her two children, Mark and Pippa, became close family friends. The two families originally met during World War II, and they formed a close attachment. When her family began to once again take summer holidays after the war ended, Rubinstein once explained, "we always went with the Hatt-Cooks." Later on, when Rubinstein's mother and stepfather moved to Nigeria, the author and her sister lived with the Hatt-Cooks and grew even closer to the family. "I drew on this situation for some of the feelings Victoria has in Beyond the Labyrinth," said Rubinstein.

The same summer holidays supplied memories later recalled by Rubinstein in her novel At Ardilla. Similar childhood recollections of English village life also inspired her picture book Mr. Plunkett's Pool. After Rubinstein's parents divorced in the mid-1950s, Rubinstein and her sister stayed at boarding school in England, dividing their holidays between visiting their mother in Africa and staying with the Hatt-Cooks.

Rubinstein eventually entered Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, intending to study Spanish and French. At Oxford she was introduced to drama and began to work with the Worcester College Players and the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) as a props person and stage manager, also writing her first play. After graduation, she turned to a succession of jobs, and during the early 1970s, she returned to school to earn her teaching certificate. In 1973 she married Philip Rubinstein and the couple relocated to Australia, settling first in Sydney and finally in Adelaide.

Rubinstein credits her three children for influencing her decision to become an author of children's and young-adult fiction, recalling that her son's lack of interest was the ultimate motivator. "There were simply no books around that he thought looked interesting," she said. So in 1985 she set out to write a book that her son would find interesting, and she ended up with a manuscript for what would eventually become Space Demons. While the first publisher she sent it to rejected it, the second publisher, Omnibus Books, asked Rubinstein if she could revise the copy for possible publication.

Space Demons has been praised for its exploration of hatred and fear, and for the way its four young characters—Andrew, Ben, Mario, and Elaine—react to and deal with those emotions. The novel opens with Andrew Hayford, the neglected son of well-to-do parents, receiving a new computer game. Although the game has no instruction manual, Andrew guesses that its object is to destroy video demons with a laser gun. He discovers later, wrote Susan Rogers in School Library Journal, that the game "feeds on the preexisting alienation and hostility of its players" so that it can lure them into the reality level of the game. Gradually Andrew and his companions are sucked into the reality of the "Space Demons" game, and it is only after they learn to overcome their hostility and work together that they manage to escape from the game's alternate reality. A sequel, Skymaze, takes the four young people into an alternate reality where they are forced to confront their weaknesses, prejudices, and fears.

Each book, wrote John Foster in Children's Literature in Education, "illustrates the power of a negative emotion." The author "convincingly melds the two worlds of fantasy and reality," wrote Cathi Dunn MacRae in a Wilson Library Bulletin review of Skymaze.

Rubinstein uses another game motif to probe fears, racism, and sexism in Beyond the Labyrinth. In this story fourteen-year-old Brenton Trethewan is "sharply different from his brothers and sister," stated Horn Book reviewer Ann A. Flowers, and has "become the outsider, the scapegoat." Vicky, a younger girl, is a visitor; she has been sent to board with the Trethewans while her parents work in Africa. Brenton expresses his alienation through devotion to a "Dungeons and Dragons"-like role-playing game called Labyrinth of Dead Ends. "He bases all his decisions on the fall of the dice that he always carries with him," Flowers explained. Trouble arises when Vicky and Brenton discover Cal, an alien anthropologist, on a nearby beach. When Cal falls ill with a viral infection, Brenton and Vicky realize that they must return her to her home planet. In a finish reminiscent of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books Brenton loves, Rubinstein confronts the reader with alternative endings that describe different futures for each of her characters.

Beyond the Labyrinth attracted critical attention for its use of language as well as for its theme. Unlike her previous science fiction, in this novel the author moves the action backward and forward in time, mixing flashbacks with sections set in the present, everything written in present tense. The book also employs controversial language, causing many libraries to refuse to shelve the book. Despite this critical uproar, all three of Rubinstein's early novels have remained popular with young-adult audiences, and Space Demons has also been dramatized and performed onstage throughout Australia since 1989.

Gaming, in the form of sports, again becomes an issue in Galax-Arena. Rubinstein's psychological thriller tells the story of three young siblings, Peter, Joella, and Liane, who are kidnapped and taken by spaceship to the planet Vexa. Hythe, their trainer, begins preparing them for a life in the arena, where they will perform dangerous gymnastics for the amusement of native Vexans. Peter "soon shows unrivaled gymnastic skills," explained Flowers in her Horn Book review of the novel, while Liane makes Bro Rabbit, her puppet, into a "menacing prophet of things to come." Joella, meanwhile, has little talent for gymnastics; she is placed in a tank and destined to become a sort of pet for the Vexans. According to Chris Sherman in an enthusiastic review of the novel for Booklist, this "allows her to learn the truth about her captivity and acquire the courage and means to escape." Flowers also praised Galax-Arena, comparing it to William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies.

Alienation takes a fantastic twist in Foxspell, which finds preteen Tod dealing with a troubled home life. Tod's father has deserted the family, forcing his mother to move in with her own mother in order to save money. Facing extreme pressure to join a local teenage gang, Todd finds an escape by spending time observing the wildlife in a local quarry. After a while, explained Steven Engelfried in School Library Journal, "he meets a spirit fox that allows him to transform into an animal himself." With that offer also comes the promise of immortality if Tod willingly transforms into a fox forever. Although Tod enjoys life as a fox, his human self is shaken by the animal violence that the shape unleashes in him; meanwhile, as a human he begins to embrace the excitement and danger of gang life. The book's climax comes when one of Tod's gang friends is killed accidentally. Flowers wrote in Horn Book that Rubinstein's conclusion creates a sense of doubt over whether Tod can "resolve the tension between a natural and a human life." Five Owls contributor Christine Heppermann asserted that in Foxspell the author "does not depict one mode of existence as better than the other."

For Under the Cat's Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery Rubinstein drew upon her memories of Oxenhouse, a stately manor in Kent where she once worked as a cook. In the novel, Jai Kala is sent to Nexhoath, a boarding school in Australia, where he quickly realizes that something is not right with regard to the headmaster, Mr. Drake, Kitty, the housekeeper, and Roughly, the handyman. Jai's two new friends, Hugo and Seal, soon share with him their belief that Mr. Drake is some kind of spiritual vampire from another world. As it turns out, Drake is employing technology from a "parallel world to suck the souls from individuals and extend his own life," explained Janice M. Del Negro in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Kitty and Roughly are discovered to be shapechangers—a cat and a dog, respectively—from a parallel world who are looking for their world's destined ruler and believe they have found him in Jai. Eventually, Jai and Seal take on the difficult tasks of helping Kitty and Roughly find their true sovereign, rescuing Hugo who has become one of Drake's victims, and stopping Drake before everyone at Nexhoath is consumed by his evil power. A Publishers Weekly reviewer asserted that Rubinstein writes this classic fantasy novel "with intelligence and authority," while Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Susan Dunn applauded the many different elements and plot twists "all rolled into one."

In 2002 Rubinstein did some shapeshifting of her own, creating the pen name Lian Hearn and publishing the first volume of her "Tales of the Otori" trilogy. Inspired by the author's long interest in Japan and a visit she took to that country in 1999, she created a saga taking place in feudal Japan, 500 years in the past.

In Across the Nightingale Floor she introduces sixteen-year-old Takeo, a boy who avoids the deadly fate of his fellow villagers because he loves walking in the hills around Dairyo. Because a secret society known as The Hidden has taken hold in the village, Dairyo's vicious leader Iida Sadamu sends his soldiers and kills everyone in sight. Saved by the sword-wielding Shigeru, member of a rival clan called the Otori, Takeo is adopted by Shigeru's people and comes to learn about his own magical birthright, which gives him ninja-like abilities.

In Grass for His Pillow Takeo continues to train as an assassin despite his desire to do otherwise. Meanwhile, a young princess named Kaede Shirakawa has fallen in love with the young swordsman, but puts her lovesick feelings aside and replaces them with a determination to rebuild her family's stature so that they can weather the war looming on the horizon after the death of both Shigeru and Iida. Brilliance of the Moon unites the two lovers, now wed, and follows Takeo as he attempts to unite the warring factions in his own life, avenge the death of his father, and fulfill the destiny revealed to him by a wise woman who said, "Five battles will buy you peace, four to win and one to lose."

Praise for the "Tales of the Otori" came from many reviewers, a Kirkus Reviews contributor describing the first novel as a "rousing, muscular piece of romantic adventure." While some critics felt that Grass for His Pillow served only to support the first volume, the concluding book was described by Booklist contributor Kristine Huntley as a "worthy conclusion to a genuinely thrilling epic saga." A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted of Brilliance of the Moon that there is a sense of "sadness and an acknowledgment of human folly." Many critics found much to praise in Rubinstein's writing in "Tales of the Otori," a Publishers Weekly contributor noting of the second volume that the author "suggests vast and mysterious landscapes full of both menace and wonder." In addition to being recorded as an audiobook and translated into a number of languages, the "Tales of the Otori" was seriously considered for screenplay adaptation by Universal Pictures.

In 2006, Rubinstein published the next book in the "Tales of the Otori" series, The Harsh Cry of the Heron. Set years after the previous book, this novel finds Otori Takeo as the benevolent ruler of the Three Countries for more than fifteen years. But old enemies threaten Takeo's peace, including Lord Aria and Zenko, who join forces to take Takeo down. The most ominous threat, however, is the prophecy that Takeo's own son will be the one to kill him; while Takeo has two daughters, he also has a teenage son named Hisao whom Takeo's wife does not know about; Hisao is being raised by one of Takeo's sworn enemies. Takeo sets out to ensure his daughter's reign as his successor. The book serves a conclusion to the series, and critics and readers alike had much to praise about Rubinstein's conclusion of an exciting succession of books. "This is the most absorbing entry in the series," wrote Kristine Huntley in a review for Booklist. Others lauded the author for her intriguing plotline and complex characters. Rubinstein "seamlessly fuses fact and fantasy," noted a Publishers Weekly contributor.

The following year, Rubinstein released Heaven's Net Is Wide: The First Tale of the Otori, a prequel to the "Tales of the Otori" series. The book illustrates the struggles of days past, when Iida Sadayoshi, an evil warlord, fights for power with Otori lord Shigeru. Not ready for his leadership role, Shigeru learns how to succeed as a leader and fight the evil forces that threaten him. He draws strength from the teachings of former mentor Matsuda Shingen and finds comfort in his relationship with Lady Maruyama. Met with positive reviews, Heaven's Net Is Wide proved a successful prequel to Rubinstein's series. The book has a "graceful, understated climax," wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Others praised the author's talent at developing all sides of the story and defining the complex lives of her rich and vibrant characters. Heaven's Net Is Wide is a "lyrical and moving prequel," noted a reviewer for Publishers Weekly.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Children's Literature Review, Volume 35, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1995, p. 207.

Something about the Author Autobiography Series, Volume 25, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1997.

Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 4th edition, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1995, p. 844.

Twentieth-Century Young Adult Writers, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1994, p. 568.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 1995, Chris Sherman, review of Galax-Arena, p. 403; October 15, 1996, Chris Sherman, review of Foxspell, p. 414; August, 2002, Carrie Bissey, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 1885; July, 2003, Kristine Huntley, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 1845; May 1, 2004, Kristine Huntley, review of Brilliance of the Moon, p. 1483; July 1, 2006, Kristine Huntley, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron, p. 6.

Book World, August 26, 2007, Elizabeth Ward, review of Heaven's Net Is Wide: The First Tale of the Otori, p. 6.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November, 1998, Janice M. Del Negro, review of Under the Cat's Eye: A Tale of Morph and Mystery, p. 111.

Children's Bookwatch, July, 2005, review of Jake and Pete; March, 2006, review of Flashback, the Amazing Adventures of a Film Horse.

Children's Literature in Education, June, 1991, John Foster, "‘Your Part in This Adventure Is Over, You Have Lost’: Gillian Rubinstein's Novels for Older Readers," p. 121.

Financial Times, September 29, 2007, Melissa Katsoulis, review of Heaven's Net Is Wide, p. 41.

Five Owls, January-February, 1997, Christine Heppermann, review of Foxspell, p. 62.

Horn Book, January-February, 1991, Ann A. Flowers, review of Beyond the Labyrinth, p. 75; May-June, 1991, Margaret A. Bush, review of Skymaze, p. 339; November-December, 1995, Ann A. Flowers, review of Galax-Arena, p. 206; November-December, 1996, Ann A. Flowers, review of Foxspell, p. 747; November, 1998, Ann A. Flowers, review of Under the Cat's Eye, p. 741; July 22, 2002, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 163.

Internet Bookwatch, December, 2006, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1998, review of Under the Cat's Eye, p. 1292; June 15, 2002, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 828; June 1, 2003, Gillian Rubinstein, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 771; April 15, 2004, review of Brilliance of the Moon, p. 349; July 1, 2006, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron, p. 648; June 1, 2007, review of Heaven's Net Is Wide.

Kliatt, September, 2003, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 24; January, 2004, Carol Reich, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 40; March, 2004, Carol Reich, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 50; July, 2005, Carol Reich, review of Brilliance of the Moon, p. 48.

Library Journal, September 15, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of Across the Nightingale Floor, p. 97.

Magpies, November, 2006, Lyn Linning, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron, p. 41.

New York Times Book Review, December 7, 2003, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 86; June 6, 2004, review of Brilliance of the Moon, p. 18.

Publishers Weekly, August 9, 1993, review of Dog in, Cat Out, p. 475; September 21, 1998, review of Under the Cat's Eye, p. 86; June 30, 2003, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 62; May 10, 2004, review of Brilliance of the Moon, p. 42; June 12, 2006, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron, p. 34; March 12, 2007, "All Together Dead," p. 42; May 28, 2007, review of Heaven's Net Is Wide, p. 36.

School Librarian, spring, 2007, Kathy Lemaire, review of The Harsh Cry of the Heron.

School Library Journal, April, 1991, Lisa Dennis, review of Skymaze, p. 123; March, 1992, Susan Rogers, review of Space Demons and Skymaze, p. 177; September, 1996, Steven Engelfried, review of Foxspell, p. 206; October, 1998, Patricia A. Dollisch, review of Under the Cat's Eye, p. 146; November, 2003, Susan Salpini, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 171.

Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 1995, Deborah A. Feulner, review of Foxspell, p. 282; October, 1998, Susan Dunn, review of Under the Cat's Eye, p. 288; October, 2004, Ruth E. Cox, review of Grass for His Pillow, p. 315.

Washington Post, August 26, 2007, Elizabeth Ward, review of Heaven's Net Is Wide, p. 6.

Wilson Library Bulletin, March, 1994, Cathi Dunn MacRae, review of Skymaze, p. 124.