Sleator, William. The last universe.

SLEATOR, William. The last universe. Abrams, Amulet Books. c2005.0-8109-58589.176p.$16.95. JS

Fourteen-year-old Susan lives on the edge of a garden, a very strange garden, because it was built by a physicist. Drawing from work on quantum physics, Sleator has fashioned a perfect "what if" story--what if the random movement of atoms was seen in the larger world in which we live? Susan's older brother, Gary, is now in a wheelchair, dependent on Susan to get outside. He enjoys their walks in the garden and is drawn to the natural elements and to the way the garden makes him feel. Through a series of events, Gary and Susan find themselves in one of the garden's mazes but on their return, things look just a bit different. Flowers have appeared overnight, lilies have covered the pond, and a familiar path is in a different place. As the two begin to better understand the quantum physics involved in the garden, the possibility of using the garden to make Gary well presents itself, with unexpected results. In the end, there is a resolution and total ambiguity, just what you would expect from the author of such books as Interstellar Pig and House of Stairs. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof. of English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.