The Rune of Zachary Zimbalist

By Pamela Keyes

     In The Rune of Zachary Zimbalist, a boy has hard-to-control powers that get him in trouble. He also has a strange mark -- an evil rune that he agreed to get tattooed on his arm to avoid being beat up by bullies. Because evil is after him, a mentor takes him to a special school where he can learn to control his abilities but where he'll also have to confront the evil that threatens him and all the new friends he loves. Oh, and he'll learn this great new game called mandiball -- he's really good at it and it's good practice for using his abilities. Sound familiar? Right, I thought so, too. Even so, there are some wonderful moments in this book. I enjoyed the character of Zachary, and found his ghostly friend Maria delightful. There's a good-evil fight scene that is very nicely written and quite exciting. The cat that's not quite a cat is a great character. Although a bit uneven, this is an enjoyable story and suggests real potential for the series. Despite the familiar moments, I liked it.