The Magic World of Bracken Lea by Esma Race

June 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment

LEA
The Magic World of Bracken Lea by Esma Race
Publisher: Solstice
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (94 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A series of ten short stories featuring the Fairy Folk of Bracken Lea Wood: a tale of Nature Spirits for humans of all ages.

Welcome to the magic world of GLODWYN the Gnome. His friends include other gnomes, flower fairies, a Twisted Tree, Astrid the Fairy Queen, and the birds and animals who also live in the wood.

Glodwyn the gnome is a bit of a rebel. He lives and works in the ancient woodland. He is unusual amongst the Fairy Folk in enjoying the company of humans. His good-natured interest in their world seen through the eyes of his unknowing “friend”, Walter the Stacker Truck Driver at the local factory, leads him to interfere in their affairs, with interesting results both for the Fairy Folk and humans. With his help, the Fairy Folk rescue a little boy from drowning, save the life of an injured cat and later that of a confused old lady who collapses in the Wood.

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Most people don’t notice magic even if it’s happening right under their noses. Are you one of them?

It’s difficult to discuss just one story because they’re all so closely connected to each other, but one of the most interesting ones in The Magic World of Bracken Lea is “The Unicorn and the Wand.” In it Glodwyn the Gnome and Celandine (a Flower Fairy) search for a unicorn so they can replace something that their queen has lost. The witty dialogue and clever ending made me want to read it again.

Speaking of Celandine, she was my favorite character in this collection. Her sweet, kind personality meshed nicely with Glodwyn’s tendency to act before he thinks. It was especially interesting to see the difference between how each of them reacts to trouble in their woodland home.

It took me a while to figure out the most appropriate age recommendation for this book, and it is a flexible one. I was a little surprised by how often the human characters find themselves in danger in these woods. While the fairies and other creatures are helpful, some of the scenarios might be a little scary for the preschoolers that would otherwise be the perfect age for this collection.

The page count includes illustrations as well as the text. The drawings themselves are simple, rustic, and beautiful. I often found myself paying just as much attention to them as I did to the tales themselves because they so accurately captured what was going on in the plot.

Read these tales in order until you’re familiar with its cast of characters. The first one introduces the reader to Bracken Lea, and the rest regularly revisit faeries and other creatures that originally popped up earlier on in this collection.

Discovering The Magic World of Bracken Lea was a treat. This is a fun choice for anyone looking for something magical to add to story time.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Angel Heart by Cornelia Funke, Narrated by Jeremy Irons

January 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

HEART
Angel Heart by Cornelia Funke
a music storybook
narrated by Jeremy Irons
music by Luna Pearl Woolf
Publisher: Mirada Studios
Genre: Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: n/a – audio
Age recommendation: Any
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Rose

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The story: A girl whose heart has broken into a thousand pieces meets an angel. During their travels in the night, the angel enlists the help of spirits of the East, North, West, and South on his quest to mend her heart.

In addition to Angel Heart, (story by Cornelia Funke, music by Luna Pearl Woolf, narrated by Jeremy Irons); the work combines well known songs from The Beatles, classical music and folk music. The visual storytelling design is by Mirada, a multi-platform company that was founded by Mathew Cullen and Pan s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro.

This is a charming audio book suitable for all ages… but it’s even more. In alternating tracks, Jeremy Irons shares the story of an angel and a girl whose heart is broken into thousand pieces. Between each segment of the story is a track of beautiful music to go along with the storyline.

I love the way each track is clearly defined as it allows this gem to be played in multiple ways. You can just hear the story, just the music, or you can listen to the entire piece. I admit, the first time I listened to it, I skipped the musical interludes because I wanted to know what happened in the storyline. With subsequent listenings, however, I’ve let the CD play on through and have thoroughly enjoyed the blending of the two art forms.

The story is beautifully told (and equally beautifully read by the talented Jeremy Irons—he can read the telephone book to me any time!!). Ms. Funke’s other works are a lot of fun to read–this one is hauntingly evocative of tenderness and pain-healed. It’s a story I have listened to more than once (and as I’m not normally a re-reader, that’s saying something).

Kudos to everyone involved. 5 stars.  Thanks to the producers for trying something new!

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Crimson and the Frost by John Williams and James Coletti

December 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

FROST
The Crimson and the Frost by John Williams and James Coletti
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Holiday
Length: Full Length (222 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Delve into a world where magic rules, mystery waits around every turn and a war between two immortals looms on the icy horizon…

Late one night, as young Billy Hampton investigates a strange presence in the woods behind his house, he discovers a curious transport. He makes the hasty decision to climb aboard, and suddenly he is whisked away to the remote winter wastelands of the far north.

Billy finds himself in a town full of mystery and wonder, built by the legendary Crimson Wizard and his devoted followers. The residents had lived here in peace for centuries, protected by a powerful magic jewel known as the Heart of Polaris. It is their only defense against the wicked and covetous King of Winter who wants them cast out of the lands he claims are his alone.

Now, Billy accidentally loses the Heart of Polaris and without its protection, his newfound friends become vulnerable to the power and fury of the King of Winter and his army of savage grimghouls.
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Its desperate race against time as Billy and his friends search for the Heart of Polaris before they fall victim to the impending onslaught.

Curiosity is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it reveals delicious glimpses into faraway place, but at other times it can get a kid into a lot of trouble.

Billy has an attitude problem. While he’s a smart and resourceful character, his self-absorption and tendency to judge others harshly makes it difficult to like him. He’s so focused on pointing out other people’s flaws that he seems completely unaware of his own. To be honest, he’s not a character that I found particularly appealing until much later on in the plot. Eventually he did grow on me, though, and by the end I was rooting for him.

What makes Billy’s adventure so interesting is how his personal flaws are addressed. The secondary characters are actually more well-rounded than the protagonist in some ways, and the plot shines when they gently nudge Billy into looking at certain issues from other points of view. Sermonizing is much less effective that being the change you want to see in the world. By far the best scenes involve other characters quietly showing Billy better ways to behave.

There were punctuation and grammar mistakes that showed up occasionally in this story. While none of them were egregious enough to change the meaning of the sentences, they happened often enough that I was distracted by them.

While the tone and message of this book is well-suited for early elementary students, I would recommend reading it aloud to them if possible. There are vocabulary words in the text that seem a little advanced for this age group, and I suspect the average 6-year-old would get much more out of it if they had an adult or older sibling around to explain certain terms.

The imagery and world building is utterly mesmerizing when this tale is read out loud, though. The authors did a fantastic job of introducing Billy to a colorful cast of characters in settings that sparked my imagination. Most of the jokes are accessible to kids, but there are enough subtle references to historical events that returning to this story over and over again will be appealing to adults as well.

The Crimson and the Frost is a delightful spin on old legends. I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves the pageantry and magic of Christmas.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Crowded Kingdom by Louella Dizon San Juan

November 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

KINGDOM
The Crowded Kingdom by Louella Dizon San Juan
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (182 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Imagine that you and your sister wake up as tiny as dandelions and find there are elves and fairies living in New York City.

That is what happens in The Crowded Kingdom, where sisters Jada and Jinny find that someone or something has shrunk them to just a few inches tall!

In their quest to return to their normal size, the girls discover the crowded magical kingdom within New York City, that elves and children are very much like, and that a rebel purple fairy, with a passion for science and a penchant for power tools, could also be their friend. But Jada and Jinny also learn that the magical world has declared war on mankind, and that something more sinister than the old fairy rivalries…has awakened.

The Crowded Kingdom is a children’s fantasy for ages eight through eighty, and is the first in a series of books featuring the girl heroines, Jada and Jinny.

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What makes The Crowded Kingdom something I plan to read over and over again is the unforgettable imagery in it. From the creative explanation of why it’s sometimes so difficult for humans to walk up steps to the truth about what really happened to dragons over the last millennium, I chuckled my way through this engrossing adventure.

Jada and Jinny are brave, resourceful sisters whose reaction to their predicament is much calmer than mine would have been. Their ages are never directly stated, but I imagine them to be somewhere in the range of 6 to 9 years old. I really enjoyed watching these sisters take on new challenges as a team. They honestly seem to like one another as individuals, and while they don’t always agree on everything it was refreshing to see siblings get along so well.

Some footnotes eventually became distracting for me. Even though they contain factual information that enhances the reading experience (especially for the age group for which this book was intended), in some sections this writing style is used so often that it slows down the plot. I suggest skimming the footnotes to anyone reading this book aloud and only sharing the ones that their listeners are not already familiar with. In general the footnotes in the beginning were more helpful than the ones that occurred later on. This is a minor critique of an otherwise wonderful story, though.

While the first half of this tale may be quite appealing to younger readers, the age recommendation should not be ignored. The second half includes creatures and events that are far too frightening for toddlers and preschoolers. There is no upper age limit on this piece. Some of the references are actually meant for readers who are adults or much older kids, and the plot is complex enough to appeal to the whole family.

The illustrations in this book appear to be simple sketches at first glance, but after looking closer I realized how beautiful and appropriate they are for the scenes they highlight. More than once I found myself wishing I could see how the author imagines a particular event only to scroll down and have my wish fulfilled. I figured out early on that the author was also the person who illustrated this work. Her passion for this tale shines through in every stroke of her work, and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating future stories from her. The final pages assured me that Jade and Jinny will return for more adventures, and I can’t wait to discover what they do next.

I never wanted The Crowded Kingdom to end. This is an excellent choice for anyone who loves the fantasy genre, especially if they’re interested in a modern twist on old legends.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village by Charity & Ryan Kountz

June 12, 2013 By 11 Comments

JASON
Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village by Charity & Ryan Kountz
 Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Young Adult, Holiday, Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (49 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Astilbe

After Jason and Lizzy’s family move hundreds of miles south from Chicago to Texas, leaving behind friends, school and the only home they’ve ever known, they are desperate for something familiar. Together, Jason and Lizzy make a late-night wish upon a star for snow that launches them on an incredible adventure even bigger than their recent cross-country move.

Join Jason and Lizzy as they make new friends, visit far-away lands, and learn, sometimes, home is more than where you live.

Without snow no one will be able to celebrate Christmas this year. Can Lizzie and Jason change the forecast before it’s too late?

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The chapters are short, and each one provides a natural stopping point for families who would rather stretch out the adventure over several nights. The last few pages include a series of questions parents and caregivers can use to start a conversation about certain decisions Lizzie, Jason and other characters make throughout the course of the plot. I prefer asking open-ended questions about generosity and the Christmas Spirit, but I can see how this resource could be useful in a classroom or small group setting.

It took some time to figure out the most appropriate age recommendation for this tale. Certain vocabulary words may be too difficult for kids who have just moved onto chapter books, but if an adult reads it aloud the imaginative plot will delight preschoolers and early elementary students who believe in the magic of Christmas. The plot is best suited for kids between the ages of 5 and 8, but there is nothing in it that would be inappropriate for a slightly younger audience.

One of the trickiest aspects of writing in the fantasy genre for this age group is crafting a story that stands up to endless repetition. Each chapter includes unexpected references to characters from ancient myths and legends that are sure to make adult readers and older children crack a smile. Mother Nature was particularly amusing, and I hope to meet her again soon when Jason and Lizzie go on other adventures.

Jason, Lizzy and the Snowman Village is an instant classic. I highly recommend introducing it to the children in your life, and I can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Raggedy Chan by Camille Picott

May 10, 2013 By 3 Comments

RC front cover
Raggedy Chan by Camille Picott
Publisher: Pixiu Press
Genre: Fantasy
Length: Short (44 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rated: 4 Stars
Review by Rose

Emma Chan-McDougal receives a special gift from her Auntie Gracie: a rag doll named Raggedy Chan. But Raggedy Chan is no ordinary doll. She is a beautiful Chinese princess who lives in a jasper palace on the enchanted isle of Kunlun. The peace of her island home is threatened when Drought Fury steals Winged Dragon, bringer of rain. Without Winged Dragon, Kunlun will wither and die.

To save her stricken homeland, Raggedy Chan sets forth alone. Her quest leads her to America, where she meets people who distrust her because she’s different. Can Raggedy Chan adapt to the strange ways of this new land and rescue her beloved dragon?
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In this modern fairy tale, Chinese-American author Camille Picott draws on her heritage to weave a story of magic, adventure, and sacrifice.

Raggedy Chan is a charming fable with a serious message. The author has based this book on her own life–she was that Chinese-American little girl who learned about her history and who was given her very own Raggedy Chan.

The story is actually two stories in one: Auntie Grace comes to take care of Emma and instructs her in her Chinese heritage. At the same time, she tells the fable of the Princess Yao-Chi and how she saved her country and became Raggedy Chan. Through the fable, she also instructs Emma in how sometimes people are unkind to others who are different.

The story teaches without being preachy–and the language, especially as the fable is being told, is absolutely beautiful. It’s short enough for an adult to read it in one sitting. There are several short chapters and some of the terminology (notably in the part of the story that tells about Raggedy Chan) may need explanations to the youngest readers. All in all, though, this was a book I will be buying for my own grandchildren.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,
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