Firebrand / Antony John / 293 pages / 8 Maids-a-Milking December Challenge

"When John White returned to Roanoke Island from England, where he had gone to replenish supplies for the colony, he discovered that the youngest children had developed the ability to control the elements." White was amazed but "he suspected the other colonists had left because they were afraid of the elementals.  He was afraid his crew would accuse the children of witchcraft...and drown them or burn them at the stake, as was the custom.  So White lied to the members of the expedition; he said he'd found no one on the island.  The crew returned home and a legend known as The Lost Colony was born."  Now centuries later, the descendants of the original elementals are fractured and decimated.  After their colony was struck by a hurricane and attacked by pirates, the survivors sought shelter in the colony at Fort Sumter.  What happens next could be humankind's last chance at survival.  Rats and plague could wipe out all life. This outstanding YA read is a riveting paranormal, rapid fire adventure with a cliffhanger ending sure to be a hit.  I love the historical impetus for the tale.