A War of Gifts

August 27, 2007
Card returns to his Hugo and Nebula award–winning Enderverse saga (after 2005's Shadow of the Giant
) with a heartwarming novella for the holidays. When Zeck Morgan, the young son of a puritanical minister, qualifies for admission into the International Fleet's Battle School, he is brought to the school against his will. Citing his pacifist religious beliefs, Zeck refuses to participate in any simulated war games, but when he sees a Dutch student give a friend a small present in celebration of Sinterklaas Day, he reports the violation of the school's rules against open religious observation and sparks an uproar over religious freedom and the significance of cultural traditions. Meanwhile, Zeck becomes a pariah until series hero Ender Wiggin finds a way to show him the real meaning of the holidays. Exploring themes of tolerance and compassion, this story about stuffing stockings is, fittingly, a perfect stocking stuffer for science fiction fans of all ages.

December 24, 2007
Adding to the ever-growing Enderverse, Card provides listeners with an amusing and sincere tale about religious observance just in time for the holidays. Like all Battle School students, Zeck has been torn from his family and religion to train in a school in outer space. Passively resisting his environment, Zeck must find a way to reconcile his beliefs with his actions and learn new things about himself that will challenge the life he knew. With Brick's lighter tone complementing Rudnicki's deep resonating voice, the two make an excellent pair as narrators. Often, their parts are split according to point of view, so that Brick narrates aspects of the story from the vantage point of Zeck and the other students while Rudniki embodies the adults, especially the militaristic leaders at the Battle School. Mostly, this shifting back and forth is done by sections of the book, and not in characters exchanging dialogue. However, very abruptly at one point in the story, the director decided to have Brick and Rudnicki exchange dialogue. If this were the standard throughout, it may well have worked, but since it happened only once and in mid-discussion between two characters, it feels out of place. Simultaneous release with the Tor Books hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 27).

October 1, 2007
Can you celebrate Christmas and battle aliens at the same time? The author of the best-selling Ender series answers the question in this holiday novella.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2008
Adult/High School-Set in a war-torn future, this novella moves from the series hero to Zeck, son of an abusive fundamentalist preacher. His phenomenal abilities for memorization and judging a situation make him an ideal candidate for the International Fleets Battle School, an academy that trains boys to be brilliant military leaders in an ongoing interstellar war. Despite his mental aptitudes, Zeck proves an unwilling pupil when he refuses to participate in battle simulations, claiming them to be against his religion. These beliefs make Zeck a pariah within the school, pushing him to cry foul when he sees two Dutch students quietly celebrate Christmasor Sinterklaas Dayby exchanging satirical poems. This kicks off a cultural revolt, pitting students of different religions against one another and against the school in the name of religious freedom. Ender himself plays a small but pivotal role by confronting Zeck and forcing him to deal with the dark issues of his past. Sci-fi purists may be let down by the lack of technology and big-scale military drama that Card is often associated with, but readers looking for a short tale dealing with issues of cultural conflict, religious freedom, and personal discovery will have much to enjoy. Cards well-imagined characters take this story to places that are both moving and satisfying."Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
Set in Battle School when Ender is still young and in training, this novelette featuring Cards most famous character is a telling parable expressing the need for faith, traditions, and caring about your family. At the school, not only is religious observance banned but so is the expression of national cultures, for learning how to battle the buggers is paramount, precluding any differences among the boys. After one homesick boy leaves a Sinterklass Day gift in a friends shoe, rebellion spreads, and gifts from Santa Claus quickly appear all over the school. Though the school staff thinks its all a fad that will disappear, the ante is upped when Muslims begin to pray during times when they arent in class. A crackdown ensues, ending the mutiny. Still, what has happened engenders a sense of community. The characters are as well realized as in all the previous Ender novels. A timely though minor addition to the Ender canon, best suited to the series many fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)