A magical world that intersects with ours. A nostalgic 1980’s setting. Engaging characters kids will love. All of this in a new series from a favorite author your kids probably already love. Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key is the first book in a new series from S.D. Smith and his son, debut author, J.C. Smith.
The Story
Jack Zulu knows he’s meant for great things. He can’t wait to get out of small town Myrtle, West Virginia as soon as he’s old enough. So when he discovers a friendly bookseller is the keeper of a secret portal to the Wayland–a world between worlds–Jack is desperate to become an acolyte and spend all his time there. All is not well at home. Jack’s father, a former cop and immigrant from South Africa, died when Jack was young. And now his mom is dying of cancer. Jack hopes he can find a cure for his mom in the Wayland.
The two worlds bleed together forcing Jack and his friends, Benny and Michelle, to fight monsters in Myrtle while also training along the sometimes hostile peoples of the Wayland and beyond. Jack must learn to see his home as the true wonder it is while learning to make heroic choices in both worlds.
What I loved
Co-written with his son–Smith’s son Josiah came up with the original story concept for Jack Zulu. Smith did much of the writing, but throughout the creative process, they were true co-creators. As a parent of creative kids, I can’t tell you how exciting this is to me. (In fact, you can download a project that my son and I created together when you subscribe to my author site).
Finding wonder where you are–At the beginning of the story, Jack is so desperate to escape, that he misses the wonder of his home town. But by the end, Jack truly sees wonder all around him, both in the Wayland, and in Myrtle.
Mentorship–Fans of the Green Ember series will be familiar with the way Smith’s mentor characters give wise guidance, not only for the story’s heroes, but also for his readers. Mr. Wheeler caries this mentorship tradition into this new series.
Learning to make heroic choices–Jack and Benny must learn to make heroic, selfless choices for the good of others.
Honesty with parents–Though Benny’s parents aren’t a big part of the story, they have an admirable relationship of trust and honesty.
Parents should know
Fantasy violence and peril–While Jack and his friends get wounded, most of the violence is directed at the monsters.
Witchcraft and monsters–In Myrtle, Benny’s old babysitter has gotten involved in witchcraft, which connects with the monsters trying to get Jack and his friends.
Darker than the Green Ember–While the Green Ember’s heroes and villains are animals, having danger and violence directed at human preteens gives the story a bit of a darker feel than the Green Ember series. Because of this, I think this series aims at a slightly older audience.
Jack Zulu and the Waylanders Key is an engaging story with memorable characters and places that will capture kids’ and teens’ imaginations. I’d recommend this series for kids 10 plus. It’s a book that really bridges that older middle grade younger YA age group well. Teens who grew up loving the Green Ember series will especially love having a new book from the Smith family.
