About the Author

Jane Yolen is one of the most distinguished and successful authors for young readers and adults in the country. The author of more than 250 books, including the immensely popular "Devil's Arithmetic," she is the winner of dozens of prestigious awards, among them the World Fantasy Award and two Christopher Medals. She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts.
Adam Stemple is a professional rock 'n' roll musician who has recorded a number of albums and owns his own music company. While he has had short stories published, "Pay the Piper" is his first book for young readers, and his first novel collaboration with his mother. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Betsy, and their two children.

Reviews

"Jane Yolen, a mistress of fantasy, has teamed up with her rock-and-roll musician son to develop a series crossing classic tales with contemporary music. This debut effort is a thriller."--The Washington Post on "Pay the Piper
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"Veteran storyteller Yolen works with her musician son on this new interpretation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story that will intrigue those who enjoy retellings of familiar stories or are lured by tales of the Faerie realm."--VOYA on "Pay the Piper
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"A rollicking good riff on the Pied Piper . An entertaining as well as meaty read."--Booklist on "Pay the Piper"
"This swift and entertaining read skillfully blends ancient magic with music and contemporary teen life."--Kliatt on "Pay the Piper" "

" Jane Yolen, a mistress of fantasy, has teamed up with her rock-and-roll musician son to develop a series crossing classic tales with contemporary music. This debut effort is a thriller." -- The Washington Post on "Pay the Piper
"
" Veteran storyteller Yolen works with her musician son on this new interpretation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story that will intrigue those... who enjoy retellings of familiar stories or are lured by tales of the Faerie realm." -- VOYA on "Pay the Piper
"
" A rollicking good riff on the Pied Piper... . An entertaining as well as meaty read." -- Booklist on "Pay the Piper"
" This swift and entertaining read... skillfully blends ancient magic with music and contemporary teen life." -- Kliatt on "Pay the Piper"

Gr 6-8-In this new twist on "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," a banished prince of Faerie has formed a folk rock band to earn the gold and silver he needs to buy off a curse he incurred by murdering his brother. When a promoter stiffs him, Prince Gringras turns to his third option for payment: leading children into Faerie, where their human souls can power the land of the Ever Fair. Although he succeeded in Hamelin and in other lesser-known locales, Gringras gets more than he can handle when he lures a group of trick-or-treaters that includes a high school reporter's little brother. Motivated first by the prospect of a great story, and later by fear for her brother, Callie follows Gringras into Faerie and undoes the curse that compels him to steal children away. The modern pacing and idiom of the scenes featuring Callie's goofy, upbeat family and friends make for a jarring contrast with the formal language used for the dark thoughts and actions of the exiled prince, and lengthy descriptions of Gringras's "rock and reel" band run the risk of alienating teens whose musical tastes favor other genres. However, these shortcomings won't deter readers who like a fast-paced Faerie tale, especially if they enjoyed Holly Black's Tithe (S & S, 2002).-Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.