Gregor the Overlander has much in common with other books I’ve read—a bit like A Wrinkle in Time meets Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland—but it still feels like an original tale. 11 year old Gregor follows his toddler sister, nicknamed Boots, into a hole in the basement which leads to a new land (Underland, as you […]
Beryl
May 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Beryl: A Pig’s Tale begins in a commercial warehouse, where all the pigs live together in concrete sties. Beryl is an orphan, living with her aunt and cousins who all hate her. One of the workers comes around, putting stickers on the biggest piglets. Everyone knows this means the piglets will be leaving and not […]
The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
May 6, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ellen Raskin was one of my favorite authors as a kid, so after the success of reading The Phantom Tollbooth with my kids, I was eager to share her books with them as well. The first book we read was The Mysterious Disappearence of Leon (I Mean Noel). It led to much laughter with the […]
The Trouble with Violet
May 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Trouble With Violet is the first book in the Sister Magic series, and it sets up the books that follow. It’s a cute story of two very different sisters. Mabel is eight, and she’s very organized. She knows how things ought to be, and prefers that everything go according to plan. Violet is five […]
Eleven
April 30, 2012 by 2 Comments
Eleven is a fine little novel about Winnie’s 11th year. She’s dealing with growing up in different ways than her best friend of many years. Imagination starts to give way to boys and fashion. Nothing earthshattering happens, which is kind of nice. It’s just school, friends, boys, parents, and siblings. It’s full of stuff like […]
My Very UnFairy Tale Life
April 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
In My Very UnFairy Tale Life, Jenny is an adventurer—her job is to go into the world of fairy tales and help them solve their problems. Her primary skill seems to be spouting self-described cheesy aphorisms, but the magical critters think she’s wise. She’s apparently the best adventurer they’ve had for a long time. At […]
Hapenny Magick
April 26, 2012 by 4 Comments
Hapenny Magick tells the story of Maewyn, a young Hapenny (they remind me a little of Hobbits) who lives with her cruel guardian, Gelbane. Although Hapenny aren’t supposed to be magick, it turns out that Mae is. When other Hapennies start disappearing, Mae has to figure out how best to fulfill her responsibilities—does she stay […]
Girl in a Cage
April 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Girl in a Cage is a historical novel about Marjorie Bruce—princess of Scotland and daughter of Robert the Bruce. It’s told in journal-like entries about her current caged situation interspersed with narrative flashbacks about what led up to it. According to authors Jane Yolen and Robert Harris, the story fills in gaps in what history […]
My Sister the Vampire, Books 1-7
April 19, 2012 by 2 Comments
Honestly, I can’t remember what happened in each individual My Sister the Vampire book and it’s hardly worth writing individual reviews. They’re relatively short and should ideally be read in order—each one picks up where the last left off. They’re cute and sweet and my daughter loves them. My only complaint is that they’re so […]
The Witches
April 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Witches is a classic Roald Dahl novel with an over the top plot that will probably make most parents cringe. It felt at first like a story that the grandma was telling that just got out of control—except it all turns out to be true! Witches are out to kill or otherwise get rid […]
