Review: Tuesdays at the Castle

Title: Tuesdays at the Castle
Author: Jessica Day George
Publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Childrens (October 25, 2011) 
Source: library
Rating: 8/10


Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

JFic Review: Small Persons With Wings

Title: Small Persons With Wings
Author: Ellen Booraem
Publisher: Dial (Jan 20, 2011)
Source: library
Rating: 6/10

Summary: Ever since she was teased for believing in fairies, Mellie has adopted a strictly scientific and logical approach to life. But when her parents inherit her grandfather's inn, she learns that for generations, her family members have been fairy guardians. The fairies exchanged some of their powers for this protection but now they want their magic back. An evil temptress in disguise wants the magic too, and before she knows it, Mellie is turned into a frog, her grandfather is discovered alive, and her parents are trapped in an evil spell that only lets them see the truth (which can be awfully brutal). Thank goodness for Timmo - the cute boy next door - and Durindana, a fairy outcast, who help Mellie save the day and encourage her to loosen up her views on family, fairies, and friendship.

This is a hilarious, irreverent, and highly sarcastic take on fairies - who, by the way, just hate to be called fairies.

What a cute, fun take on fairies! Mellie is kind of prickly and untrusting to start our story - realizing that your parents were lying when they said that your fairy friend was imaginary can make a girl grumpy. She is loyal and hardworking, and does her best to deal with her flighty parents and rude grandfather, as well as a whole passel of rather testy Small Persons with Wings. The plot gets a bit mired in places, but on the whole I enjoyed this fluffy contemporary fantasy.

Tween Tuesday: The Inquisitor's Apprentice

by Chris Moriarty

Recommended ages 9-14

Rating 10/10 

Wow! This book was amazing. It swept me up and carried me away to a world where magic is an everyday matter, with its own police department and different "styles" from every country. I loved the time period and setting - New York at the eve of the electrical age, with robber barons galore, Thomas Edison cranking out inventions and Harry Houdini performing onstage - and this book takes it to the next level with the matter-of-fact integration of magic and a heartfelt but not sentimental depiction of the world of immigrants. I adored Sascha, our protagonist, as well as his new boss Inspector Wolf. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, because watching it slowly unfold was so much fun I devoured this book in two days. I have only so many nephews to buy presents for, but I will definitely find one in the age range of 9-14 and gladly pass this one on!

Tween Tuesday: Horns and Wrinkles

 

by Joseph Helgerson

Recommended ages 8-12

Rating: 9/10 stars

After last week's review of a folksy tale gone sci-fi, this week we have pure, unadulterated whimsy. The folks of Blue Wing, Minnesota know that there is magic along their stretch of the Mississippi - but in general they try not to talk about it much when things go 'rivery.' When Claire's cousin, Duke, starts growing a rhino's horn instead of a nose, and his parents turn to stone, Claire is unable to resist trying to help. Filled to the brim with trolls (both river and rock), fairies, shooting stars and helpful muskrats, this tale is chock full of unique and hilarious creatures. I absolutely loved it!

Tween Tuesday: The Girl Who Could Fly

Well, this was a very strange read. It starts off sounding reminiscent of "Because of Winn-Dixie", with a precocious young girl and a folksy accent. And then suddenly the girl is taken from her home to an underground school, and the tone turns very sci-fi. The mix of folksiness and sci-fi was a bit discombobulating - the writing was very good and I enjoyed the concept, but I didn't fall in love the way I'd hoped. The characters were charming but a bit superficial and glossed-over. It wasn't as in-depth as I prefer my science fiction, but it may be a good entry point for the younger generation. It apparently has a new cover for its paperback release, which I think will be more appealing to younger kids. Listed as grades 4-7, but I'd say more like grades 4-6.

Tween Tuesday: Blue Balliet

 

Blue Balliett's books are wonderful for tweens, both boys and girls. Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game feature tween protagonists who get drawn into mysterious happenings involving famous works of art and architecture. They are amazingly detailed and clever, and will have readers heading to Wikipedia to look up the works of Vermeer, Frank Lloyd Wright and Alexander Calder, which is wonderful. They are full of codes and deductive thinking, and will have readers seeking out mysteries of their own, or at least composing coded notes to their buddies or buying a set of pentaminoes. These books are highly recommended!