The Midnight Crier (at 10:00 p.m.): Ingledove in BOOKLIST

Like Youmans' previous fantasy for young people, The Curse of the Raven Mocker (2003), this one follows a girl, Ingledove, into Adantis, a hidden land in the Blue Ridge Mountains that is inhabited by magical creatures as well as people who count the Cherokee, English, Scots, and Irish as their ancestors. After Ingledove's older brother Lang is bewitched by a shape-shifting serpent woman, the siblings set out for Adantis. There they find their mother's grave, the dammed lake that has drowned their birthplace, and the evil creature who enchants Lang and threatens his life. Beyond all the associations with death, in Adantis they also find beauty, friendship, and hope. Jarrett the witchmaster foresees their coming and joins Ingledove in the perilous journey she must take to save Lang. The appended Adantan glossary discusses the meaning of words, identifies people and creatures, and explains aspects of Adantan lore. Besides the richly imagined setting and history, this fantasy offers a sympathetic heroine involved in an exciting adventure. -Carolyn Phelan