Villain and Princess Reunion

My reading hit a dry spell, but I was feeling that urge to read something! The closest book to grab was one of my daughter’s most recent library books.

If you love Disney princesses and villainesses (the latter is not coming up as a correct word, but using it anyway), then Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy by Serena Valentino is the book for you. This book makes mention of just about all of them: Snow White and her mother, Ursula, Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, Circe… So many names and scenarios in the beginning that a reader may feel a bit lost.

The main story, though, is Maleficent’s. We flashback to her abandonment in the fairy woods as a baby; even the kindly Fairy Godmother left her for dead. Luckily, the Godmother’s sister, Nanny, decided to take Maleficent in and raised her. Life turned sour when she became sixteen, and unleashed her horrible rage in the form of a dragon that destroyed the fairy land. She became reclusive until a temptation pulled her from her lair.

SPOILER AHEAD- The temptation is the big twist: finding out that Aurora is Maleficent’s daughter. And this is where the story just gets away from me. I can’t wrap my head around Maleficent’s intention of killing Aurora to “keep her safe from herself.” The story has some cool moments and twists, but some of the attempts to connect the tales feel a bit forced.

Those who love the combination of all these tales will be enchanted.

Flying Lions

Journey Across the Hidden Islands by Sarah Beth Durst has a dragon, koji, valravens (who knew they were a thing?!), princesses on a quest, and… flying lions (among other fantastical creatures).

This book was recommended by my public library (one of my favorite stops if you haven’t already noticed). It was a recent mother-daughter book club pick. Even though my daughter and I aren’t able to participate in the actual club discussions (scheduling conflicts), I still like to find out what they are reading. This one was mentioned for having many great lessons and discussion-worthy content. I have to agree.

Fantasy has been heavy in my reading lists lately. It’s not normally my top pick though. This one was just so out there that I couldn’t help but get pulled in. Sister princesses are trained for different positions, one to be a proper heir to the throne and one to be a warrior/protector. They are sent ahead of schedule as twelve-year olds to renew their people’s pact with a dragon. This pact has kept their islands safe for hundreds of years. As they make their journey they must face koji monsters and other obstacles. The sisters must also embrace their own apprehensions, jealousies and expectations.

The ending of the story is what resonated most with me. The ideas of becoming who you are and accepting change are powerful lessons which come together in the story’s resolution.

“It can’t ever fly if you don’t let it. It can’t ever see the world if you don’t let it. It can’t live if you never give it the chance” (332).

Ravens and Riddles

Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle is my second to last read of the 2018 Nutmeg selections. This was an interesting one! I couldn’t help but picture the movie “The Crow.” Especially in terms of some of the characters’ ability to paravolate (fly as one with their amicus/raven). In the movie the same thing occurs as Brandon Lee’s character attempts to seek his own justice after death through a crow. Definitely not a kid movie! But, back to Gabriel Finley!

Gabriel discovers that he comes from a long line of “bird whisperers.” They are able to befriend/speak/fly with ravens. The book is his story of trying to solve many riddles to find the torc which will prevent his evil bird uncle from taking over the world. There are MANY fantastical elements to this story. Some of them are evil birds called valravens- they do not laugh at riddles like normal ravens, a dancing, mischievous desk and a trip to the bird underworld realm.

This story is a wild ride. One I found a bit dragged out in parts, but I think fantasy lovers will really enjoy it. And who doesn’t love a good riddle?

Fairy Tale

I couldn’t help my interest in Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin which at first glance was based on its unique beauty. The book itself has beautiful pages with little embellishments of color. It is a gorgeous book.

The fairy tale genre has certainly made a comeback with so many variations across different age levels. I am not familiar with the original tale of Snow and Rose and feel that it may have enhanced my appreciation of the story to know the original. With that being said, I still found it to be an enjoyable read which I completed in one sitting.

The characters and setting are enchanting and I loved the adventurous natures of Snow and Rose. My favorite part had to be the library full of random objects instead of books. The image of twisting steps leading to all these trinkets is something that would be amazing to see in real life. Of course there is a story behind every object, and each selected object would become important in their own lives as well.

The ending was a surprise to me, and I liked that it brought the previous elements together, such as understanding why so many animals were out to hurt the little man.

Art and Mystery

My eighth Nutmeg is in the books (pun intended!). Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald had so many great elements, mystery, art, history and unique family/friend relationships. This story reminded me a bit of The DaVinci Code for kids.

I will say a bit about each element. For starters, the mystery was enough to keep you guessing through the whole story. And I loved that the letter at the end solved it all. Every single thing would have been different if she found that letter first, including her friendship with Bodhi. I loved the contrast between Bodhi’s celebrity lifestyle and Theo’s frugal one. I also found myself intrigued by the mother’s character (although honestly, every character was appealing to me in some way). I hoped mom would solve her math theorem by the end of the book, but I guess her not solving it was part of the point!

The art described through the story gives the reader a great lesson in the Masters, and of course, a different viewpoint of WWII POWs. It makes me want to visit a museum to see the paintings being described. I think this book would be a great read aloud for a class with SO many enrichment options. My only question is whether a student would be as interested in the book as I was? I look forward to talking to those students of mine who read it.

My daughter mentioned enjoying Fitzgerald’s novel The Gallery. I will definitely add it to my “want to read” list!

Nutmeg Territory

Nutmeg books are pretty important in every grade level of my job. They are books selected by a committee of librarians/teachers covering a range of genres and character issues. Currently, I introduce students to the Intermediate Nutmegs which are recommended for grades 4-6. There are also elementary, teen and high school categories. Each year students can read as many titles as possible from the ten selections and vote on their favorite.

I read six of the Intermediate titles over the summer: Fish in a Tree, Kinda Like Brothers, The Tapper Twins Go to War, Took, Ratscalibur and The War that Saved My Life. I won’t review these here because I’d like to only comment on titles I’ve read within the past month. I finished my seventh 2018 Nutmeg title just a week or so ago. A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner was a cute story of friendship, empathy and teamwork. Friends Red and Rip support each other through fifth grade amidst a new, “radical” teacher who also happens to be their basketball coach. Red’s character is autistic (never stated outright, but all signs point to it) and Rip has developed a strong connection to help Red through the tough changes he must face with their unorthodox teacher.

I liked this story, but think kids with no basketball knowledge will get a bit lost in that part of the plot. The friendship and classroom scenes will engage kids though. Especially their Gross Things project.

Spoiler: I definitely enjoyed the ending too, although it was predictable, it just made me happy and sometimes that is just what you need in a book. I created an Animoto Book Trailer to share with my students. I will share it here!