Want to escape into an epic adventure back in time? Pick up a copy of KINO and the KING and follow Kino Kahele on her visit when Hawaii was a young nation, and the Kamehameha Dynasty ruled the land. After Kino receives a pohaku (stone), that is supposed to help Kino find her destiny, she is chased by bullies into the Hawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. She ducks into the ancient grass hut display and hides her rock in a conch shell. With a flash of bright light, she is transported to 1825 where she meets 11-year-old Kauikeaouli, just weeks before he becomes Kamehameha III, Hawaii's longest reigning monarch. Enjoy the adventure-filled journey around Oahu, braving encounters with sharks, wild boars, Night Marchers, and more, while gathering the four items a kahuna said Kino needs to fulfill her destiny and return home. KINO and the KING is a novel filled with Hawaiian history, customs, language, and lore. Based on real people, places, and historical and current events, the story educates as it entertains. Written for middle grade, it’s an enjoyable read for kids and adults alike. BookLife Prize - 2017Visibility : publicPlot/Idea: 9 out of 10Originality: 9 out of 10Prose: 9 out of 10Character/Execution: 9 out of 10Overall: 9.00 out of 10Assessment: Plot: The novel is well plotted, compelling, moves along at a good clip, and will engage readers from start to finish. Prose: The prose is another strength of this book. The writing is smooth, enjoyable to read, and appropriate for young readers. Originality: This is an original and fascinating tale that is sure to entertain. The setting is well rendered and describes a place that many young readers will have never visited. Character Development: The two main characters, Kino and Kalani, are very well rendered and relatable. Today dystopian novels such as T he Hunger Games and the Divergent series dominate the juvenile and young adult markets. While each of these series offers strong female characters and serviceable plots, the genre itself is in decline. So where can we look for the next revolution in juvenile and young adult fiction? I would suggest you look no further than Jen Angeli's Kino and the King , a fantasy closely related to Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Author's Court rather than Orwell's 1984 . In the story a young 12th Century girl, Kino, finds herself transported back to the early 19th Century Hawaii where she meets and mingles with real personages of the period. In terms of describing the Hawaiian culture of the 19th Century, the author has created a world that feels authentic and real, which is an absolute must in any historical novel. Miss Angeli also creates real and immediate characters with whom we can identify, including her protagonist Kino, a modern girl who interacts with a not-so-modern culture. We root for her because she is a kid we like and admire. The writing is utilitarian, and I mean this in the best sense of the word. Too often authors try to dazzle us with their brilliance, but here the writing is clear and precise. This is not to imply that the writing or the plot or the characters are simple. On the contrary, this is a thoughtful novel that keeps us reading because we care about the characters. We want them to be safe, we want them to succeed. This is one heck of a juvenile novel. No, let me restate that. This is one heck of a novel. James Hitt Author of the award-winning AUTHOR CARNY, A NOVEL IN STORIES and THE COURAGE OF OTHERS No wonder the landscape looked completely different. The room started to spin. Glancing at the girl and boy again, Kino Kahele understood. She was in the company of young Kauikeaouli, the actual Kamehameha III, and his royal sister, Nahienaena."I don't belong here," Kino shifted her gaze from one sibling to the other. "I'm from a different time." "What time? Night time?" Princess Nahienaena asked. "No," Kino shook her head. "I mean from the year 2016." The pair stared at her with blank expressions. "I'm not crazy," Kino gripped the cushion she sat on. "I don't know how it happened, but somehow I ended up here in 1825, and now I need to get back home - to the future." Jen Angeli grew up on the island of Oahu, first in Kalihi until age four, then Pearl City until age eighteen. A graduate of St. Francis High School in the mid-'80's, Jen pursued different writing courses in college and earned a certificate in screenwriting from Cal State Fullerton. This is her first novel. Like the main character of her book, the author was raised with a strong sense and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture and the diversity of the islands. Her Hawaiian/Portuguese grandmother taught her how to catch, prepare, and eat food from the ocean. To pass the time awaiting crabs to fill their nets, she'd tell Jen stories of a simpler time in the islands and what it was like growing up on a ranch in Molokai.