It's hard to believe but the author was only 12 years old when she wrote this thrilling, beautifully crafted fantasy about evil Lord Turnatt, a hawk who has enslaved birds to build a fortress and has set the cardinals and bluejays to fighting each other. (See interview at left.)

She creates vivid characters with wonderful names (Flameback the cardinal, Dilby the loon) and other cool words like "nobird", "somebird," and "everybird." There's a hummingbird circus, birds dining on raspberry pie and fending off invaders with scalding bean soup. Best of all each chapter starts with a quotation from some book of bird lore, including the Book of Heresy which promises the terrible Turnatt eternal life - if he eats the egg of one woodbird every day.

Nancy Yi Fan is a talent to watch!

- Jean Westmoore
SOMETHING TO MAKE
Buffalo author Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt offers a fascinating exploration of the ancient Maya people in "Amazing Mayan Inventions You Can Build Yourself" (Nomad Press, $14.95). The Mayas survived for close to 3,000 years until their last city fell to Spanish invaders in 1697.

This paperback is packed with colorful details about their skill at building, their interest in astronomy and their development of complex calendars. It also has games, crafts (including directions for making a royal Mayan jadeite necklace replica from green Sculpey clay) and recipes (including one for Mexican hot chocolate). Interesting factoid: The Mayans used cacao beans for money!

Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt (who also wrote "Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself") will conduct a craft session and book signing at the Borders store at 2015 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga, at 2 p.m. Saturday.

BRAINIAC QUESTION
How many conversation hearts candies does the NECCO company produce each year?

A. 2 million

B. 2 billion

C. 8 billion

D. 18 billion

Answer: C. 8 billion (Source: NECCO)

SOMETHING TO WATCH
Fans of SpongeBob SquarePants may want to catch three new Patrick-themed episodes starting at 5 p.m. Monday in honor of Presidents Day on Nickelodeon. Fans can go online at nick.com/prezday to vote for Patrick or Larry the Lobster for president, create video campaign posters and more.

SOMETHING SWEET
This is a jazzier version of traditional Rice Krispie treats.

CHOCOLATE CEREAL BARS

¹/2 cup packed brown sugar

¹/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

¹/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)

3 cups crisp rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)

¹/2 cup snipped pitted dates

¹/2 cup chopped peanuts

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil; lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a pan, bring brown sugar, corn syrup and margarine to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in hazelnut spread. In a mixing bowl, combine cereal, dates and peanuts. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal mixture; stir until coated. (Work fast; the mixture quickly turns gooey.) Firmly press mixture into prepared pan, using your fingers (wash your hands!) or a large spoon. Chill for five minutes in the refrigerator. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two days. Do not freeze.