The Callers by Kiah Thomas (SSYRA)

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Description:

In the world of Elipsom, the ability to Call—or summon objects—is a coveted, crucial skill, revered among its people as both a powerful tool and an essential way to sustain life. But despite an elite family history, a phenom for an older sister, a best friend who is set to join the Council of Callers, and his mother's steely insistence that he learn to Call, Quin doesn't have the gift—an embarrassment made worse when his mother gets his sister to cheat for him on his Calling exam. But everything changes in a moment of frustration when Quin, instead of summoning an object, makes something disappear. And what's more, he quickly discovers that the objects Callers bring into their world aren't conjured at all; they're whisked away from another world and a people who for years have had their lives slowly stolen from them. Now Quin must team up with Allie, a girl who's determined to stop this unfair practice, and decide whether he should remain loyal to his family or betray them—and save the world.

Age Recommendation: 9-13, 4th-7th Grade

General Content:

Language: 0/10- Little to no derogatory language/ references.

Alcohol & Drugs: 0/10- No alcohol or drug content.

Violence & Gore: 2/10- Some oppression and injustice. The "weapons" used in the novel stun not injure.

Sexual Content: 0/10- No sexual content.

Parent Guide:

Trope: Maternal tension, tension between doing what is right and choosing to go with the flow of his family. Quin’s mom is often cold toward him and passively manipulative.

Ch. 6

-Quin passes out in his room and wakes up in a dark cavern, his hands are bound. There is a girl similar in age to him, named Allie, also in the cave, who he believes is the one who bound his hands. They are both confused as to why he’s there. More than anything, this encounter is confusing to them both.

Ch. 7

-Allie and Quin come across two people in caller robes, frightened, Allie insists that they run. He thinks they could help him get home, but then realizes they have weapons that shoot pulses to stun people and animals. He comes out with his hands up, and they send pulses at him, realizing they will be of no help. He trusts Allie and chooses to run.

Ch. 8

-Running from the callers leads them to Allie's house. Her father is distrusting of Quin but decides to let him stay until he can figure out how to get back home.

-Allie mentions that they lost her mother a few years ago. She explains how in ch.10.

Ch. 9

Allie tells Quin about her continent (Evantra), one that is hidden from the people of his continent (Elipsom). Evantra is where things are called from, thus taking everything from the people who live there. Everyone who lives here must work the fields to ensure crops can consistently be called/ taken.

Ch. 10

-Allie explains what happened to her mom; she was collecting extra food in the fields for families who needed it. The management (callers in charge of the fields)  classified it as rebellion, came to her house, and took her mom.

Ch. 11

-Some Evantrans forced to work the fields beg management to allow the flourishing fruit more time to grow. Management disagrees and commands that it be picked. After a peaceful voice of disagreement, the Evantrans are stunned by management. Allie tells Quin that they will be unconscious all day and will be forced to meet their quota overnight, or their family will miss out on food rations.

Ch. 12

-“The towers [used by management] were a whole new level of oppression, a permanent reminder that all Evantrans were under someone else’s control.”

Ch. 15

-Allie is elated at Quin’s ability to fix the vine. Out of excitement, she hugs him. Quin comments that his "face heated at the emotion, and he hesitated before hugging her back. It had been so long since anyone had hugged him at all, and never like that. He felt the warmth flood through the rest of him as he held her.”

Ch. 18

-Quin’s friend works with his mom to betray him “for a place on the council”.

Ch. 20

-Quin’s sister tells him the truth, that her mother had taken him from Evantra as a baby in order to make her calling powers stronger.

Ch. 21

-On a search for Allie, Quin sneaks up on a guard and steals his light stick, which he then uses to stun him so he can sneak past and save Allie.

-When he gets to Allie, Quin acknowledges that her hands are bound and she has a silver cloth in her mouth so that she can’t call. Other than that, she is unharmed.

Ch. 22

-Allie holds on to Quin as they ride their flying rhino back to Evantra.