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ENTWINED

This retelling of "The 12 Dancing Princesses" includes all the familiar elements of the Grimms’ fairy tale while adding detail and exciting events—with consummate panache. Azalea is the oldest child and has acted as second mother to her 11 younger sisters since the Queen died giving birth to little Ivy. The grieving king insists on deep mourning for all the court, forbidding the princesses to dance. Since the girls cannot give up dancing—it was their mother’s gift to them—they find a path to an enchanted place under the castle, where the slightly sinister Keeper allows them to dance their slippers into shreds. His initial kindness—“[Y]ou are welcome to dance here, among the magic. Please. Come and mend your broken hearts here,” he invites—changes to cruelty as he becomes ever more controlling. All 11 sisters are very real characters, adding considerable dimension to the story. The unfortunately gauche and clumsy king slowly shows his truly loving heart, especially as he arranges for the older girls to meet appropriate young men as suitors, also well-developed and rewarding characters. The plot zips along, becoming more and more suspenseful as the story progresses until it becomes almost too tense. Dixon balances the suspense with generous helpings of humor and sparkling dialogue. This charming, romantic story, told with a light touch, will appeal to older preteens on up. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

 

Pub Date: April 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-200103-0

Page Count: 480

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: April 9, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2011

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WINGS OF STARLIGHT

A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.

Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.

In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.

A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781368098458

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Disney Press

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024

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INDIVISIBLE

An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.

A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.

Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.

An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)

Pub Date: May 4, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

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