The Casting takes place in Ireland in 350 AD and follows the story of Robyn, the younger daughter of a bronze caster. While her older sister, Lianna, is content to follow in their mother’s footsteps—becoming a healer and marrying Gilhey, the apprentice likely to take over the foundry—Robyn feels called to follow in her father’s […]
The Goose Girl
October 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Goose Girl is extrapolated from the fairytale of the same name. Overall, it does a good job of staying true to the fundamentals of the tale while creating a complex story that stands well on its own. The basic plot is the same—a princess (Ani) travels with her handmaid (Selia) to marry a prince. […]
Green Angel
October 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jocelyn Koehler How will we react when the worst happens? Will we curl up and despair? Or will we rise up and endure? The answer to that question lies at the heart of Hoffman’s deceptively slender novel Green Angel. Taking equal inspiration from traditional fairy tales and the September 11 attacks, Hoffman […]
Darth Paper Strikes Back
October 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Darth Paper Strikes Back is the sequel to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Dwight, the origami artist who hangs out with Origami Yoda, has been suspended from school and may be transferred to an alternative school for violent kids. Tommy, Kellen, and the other kids join forces to try to convince the school board […]
Graceling
September 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jennifer Lewis Graceling tells the story of Katsa. Her Grace, which is an innate and highly advanced skill, provides her with an uncanny fighting ability, an ability the king has claimed as his weapon to wield. However, she’s disgusted with the king’s using her to solve his problems by inflicting pain on […]
The Looking Glass Wars
September 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Looking Glass Wars is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s stories, but the premise is that Carroll wrote his books based on the stories of Alyss who is truly from Wonderland but trapped in Victorian London. Familiarity with Carroll’s novels will add to a reader’s enjoyment of The Looking Glass Wars—it’s fun to see how Frank […]
House of Dolls
September 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jocelyn Koehler. Francesca Lia Block, usually known as a writer for young adults, has been branching out over the last few years. House of Dolls, an offering for younger readers, is a wispy (about 60 pages of scant text) middle-reader-level story centered on the social and romantic life of several dolls in […]
The Moon Coin
September 18, 2012 by 1 Comment
2012 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards: Gold Medal Winner (Pre-Teen Fiction – Fantasy) The Moon Coin is a delightful fantasy story about Lily and her brother Jasper. Their Uncle Ebb has always told them tales (not stories—there’s a difference) of the Moon Realm. After Ebb disappears, Lily finds the Moon Coin necklace her uncle always wore […]
LightMasters: Number 13
September 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
LightMasters: Number 13 tells the story of 13 year old Jessica who learns she’s a Lightmaster when she follows mysterious lights into the forest. Talking to the strangers she encounters there, she discovers that she has a role to play in saving the world. It’s told from her point of view in a first person, […]
Howl’s Moving Castle
September 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Review written by Jonathan Lavallee Howl’s Moving Castle takes place in a Kingdom, somewhere. The eldest of three has read all the tales and she knows that she’s destined for failure—the eldest ones always are, especially when there are two younger siblings and your father has remarried. Even if your stepmom does her best to […]
