By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member David McManus

Title: Yoss
Author: Odo Hirsch
Publisher: Decalorte Press
Number of Pages: 341

Imagine being stuck in a new place, with no friends or family or anyone you know. Imagine being torn away from your quiet, peaceful village to a busy, bustling town. You don't have any idea how you are going to survive with no food,water or even a special talent.

This is what happens to young Yoss on his fourteenth birthday. "Towns swallow up men Yoss," the Speaker had said to Yoss, "Men go into towns and are never seen again." But when Yoss and his friend are thrust into a new and dangerous world full of deceit, stealing , starving and evil. You (the reader) take the safe way and turn around and go back to your village in the hills, or you see a town, find out if the legends are true and have an adventure!

But this adventure goes bad when Yoss runs into two con artists. They rob him and take his food. They are about to kill him when they realize the a secret; for Yoss possesses something that even he doesn't know he possesses. (March, 2005)