The tenth installment in the Secrets of Droon series was a huge hit it my home. Granted, my son (now approaching five) loved each of the preceding nine Droon books and remains intolerant of my inability to force Tony Abbott, the author, to write and publish with greater frequency. My guess, however, is that The Quest for the Queen will satisfy both new readers and faithful followers of Eric, Julie, and Neal, as they team with Princess Keeah to combat evil in the magical world of Droon. Children familiar with the earlier books will perch on the edge of their seats (or your lap) awaiting the fate of the shape-shifting Queen Relna (Princess Keeah's mother, the wife of the Viking King Zello), and they won't be disappointed. New readers will be at less of a disadvantage here because Droon's predominant villian -- Lord Sparr -- remains in hiding (although there is a cameo of his nemisis, Gaelen, the grand wizard of Droon) -- nonetheless, the series works best if you begin with The Magic Staircase and meet the colorful characters in order as this grand, dense saga evolves. Consistent with most Droon adventures, this book crackles with magic (even in the forest where magic has been banned), adventure (a pilka chariot race -- oh my!), and teamwork (with both girls (Keeah and Julie) and boys (Eric and Neal) chipping in and sharing the glory). Again, I applaud Tony Abbott for doing what only the best children's authors can -- making reading (and listening) fun!
