A captivating fairytale adaptation that may appeal to fans of the work of Gail Carson Levine and Patricia C. Wrede.
In Sneed’s retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’stale “The Wild Swans,” an 11-year-old girl must save her six brothers after her wicked stepmother turns them into red-tailed hawks.
It’s 1925 in Oklahoma, and Cora’s father has gotten rich in the oil business. They live in a mansion on the prairie, and the girl loves her leisurely life there, reading adventure stories and riding her horse, Ali Baba. All that’s about to change, though, because she’s supposed to be sent to finishing school in Boston, much to her displeasure. However, before she can be shipped off, her father comes homewith a mysterious woman, dressed all in green. He and her brothers seem enchanted by the “Green Woman,” asCora calls her;Cora is skeptical of her, though, and exposes her as a fraud during a fake séance. To Cora’s horror, her father marries her anyway, and the Green Woman wastes no time in getting rid of the children: She turns the boys into hawks, and Cora only narrowly escapes the same fate by going on the run in the Oklahoma countryside. She stumbles on a Seelie (a type of fairy), who strikes a deal with her—in exchange for Cora’s voice, the Seelie will reveal to her how to turn her brothers back into humans: Before three moons pass, Cora must pick enough cotton to weave six shirts, one for each sibling. Although “The Wild Swans” is a less well-known fairy tale, this updated retelling will be accessible and engaging to young readers, even if they’re unfamiliar with the original work. Cora is headstrong, adventurous, and utterly charming, and she provides a compelling role model for young girls; there are brief flashes of insight in which she examines her class privilege. Sneed perfectly captures the sibling dynamic between her and her brothers as well, and the cast of Cora’s unexpected allies adds depth and levity.
A captivating fairytale adaptation that may appeal to fans of the work of Gail Carson Levine and Patricia C. Wrede.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798990941410
Page Count: 254
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism.
Stories of Buddha’s past lives help a young boy “find [himself] in the moment.”
Binh and his siblings, who are of Vietnamese descent, can’t believe they’re spending the weekend at a silent meditation retreat. Binh would rather play his Game Boy so he doesn’t have to meditate and inevitably think about the bullies at school. It is only when Sister Peace tells stories about the Buddha and his past life that Binh is able to imagine himself entering a video game–inspired world and thus process his feelings of shame, isolation, and anger. With each Jataka tale, Binh’s awareness expands, and so, too, does his ability to be present for and helpful to those around him. A welcome addition to the handful of middle-grade stories featuring Buddhist protagonists, this exploration of identity and Buddhist principles will find an audience with young readers who love Raina Telgemeier but aren’t quite ready to level up to the complexity and nuance of Gene Luen Yang’s epic American Born Chinese (2006). The video game elements are compelling, although they understandably diminish as the story progresses and the protagonist’s inner life grows. Warm fall colors and luscious black lines anchor the story as it transitions among flashbacks, stories, and the present day. Filled with talking animals, the parables can be a little heavy-handed, but the witty banter between Binh and the narrator during fantasy sequences provides levity. (This review was updated for accuracy.)
A thoughtful, humorous, community-centered exploration of identity and Buddhism. (bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780759555488
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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