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We have all seen the fascinating sketches by M. C. Escher. In the quotation above from John Marsden's 'The Dead of Night', his narrating character Ellie refers to a sketch that could be of a young lady but could instead - or, more likely, also - be of a much older woman, depending upon how one looked at the picture. Perhaps the most well-known Escher sketch is the one that is swimming fish at one moment, soaring birds the next. What you see depends on how you look, with the two views - the two readings, if you will - seemingly existing together.

A master storyteller, John Marsden is Australia's best known writer for young adults. Marsden first found success with the publication of So Much To Tell You. Since then he has gone on to publish many popular and well-recognized titles, including those in the Tomorrow Series and The Ellie Chronicles . In his books, Marsden explores adolescents caught in a world of opposites, of innocence and guilt, idealism and realism, and joy and despair. Marsden's world view and his faith in adolescents serve as the backdrop for John Noell Moore's critical readings of Marsden's major novels. In John Marsden: Darkness, Shadow, and Light , Moore investigates the full spectrum of Marsden's work, beginning with the author's life as a teacher and writer. Throughout the book, Moore weaves together Marsden's recurring themes, chief among them writing and storytelling as ways of constructing identity in the transition from childhood to adulthood and the ability of young adults to endure hardships and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The book is a valuable addition to the current scholarship on young adult literature and will be welcomed by middle and high school English teachers and students alike.