The Serpent's Egg

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Miranda, a direct descendant of the Elf King Elester, is the only one
who can capture the serpent’s egg and use its magic to return the
demon, Hate, to her prison in the Place With No Name. So Miranda and her
friends, Arabella, Nick, and Penelope (along with her pink poodle)
embark on a long and perilous journey that begins in Ottawa on
Parliament Hill. Beneath the Library of Parliament they find passage
into another world where they encounter countless monsters and other
strange beings, overcome numerous obstacles and are put to a variety of
tests that seem endless and often unconquerable. Miranda, assisted by
the power of the bloodstones which she is given, does eventually capture
the serpent’s egg and defeats Hate.

Despite the variety of characters and events, the beginning chapters
move very slowly; by the time we learn just what the quest is, we are
nearly half way through the book. Vocabulary is repetitive and trite.
Miranda and her friends are definitely not typical 9– and
10-year-olds; Miranda worries that she might be crazy or suffering from
Alzheimer’s and Penelope is described as having “perfectly manicured
nails.” At nine? Not likely. Incidents are often less than believable.
One would hope that Nick, even though he is two years older, would not
take his father’s car joyriding through the streets of Ottawa.

It is difficult to determine the age level for whom this story is
intended. From the reader testimonials included on the book jacket, it
would seem that it is targeted toward 11– to 14-year-olds. Yet few
children of that (or any) age like to read about characters younger than
themselves, and for younger readers the story would be too intense. Not
recommended.