An effervescent, adorable series opener.
Rory’s attempts at spellcasting often go awry, but a new school and new friends help her see that there is more to being a great fairy godmother than what she can do with her wand.
Though Rory can spell different words, casting magical spells is a different story: “What she wanted to spell with her wand and what came out of her wand never matched.” When she tries to conjure up socks, she ends up with rocks. When she wants new, she gets blue. The other students at Bibbidi Bobbidi Academy for godmothers- and godfathers-in-training don’t seem to have any of the same problems, and Rory’s spelling only gets a little better with practice. But when Rory and two classmates must help a lonely boy as their first magical assignment, Rory realizes that her spelling troubles won’t necessarily keep her from being good at granting wishes. The author’s play on the idea of spelling will be amusing to readers who are still learning to spell with letters rather than a wand, and Rory’s excitement and nervousness will resonate with many children. Energetic illustrations, often incorporating images from nature, feature cheerful, vivid colors and delicately drawn scenes. Rory has brown skin and dark hair; her school is diverse.
An effervescent, adorable series opener. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-05739-4
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
A wacky adventure that stands out through highlighting its heroine’s foibles, giving her plenty of room to grow in future...
A tomboy princess wishes to become a knight.
Don’t call her Princess Serena—self-styled Princess Pulverizer is the Royal School of Ladylike Manners’ pre-eminent troublemaker, and she would rather learn to fence than dance. She begs her kingly father to let her attend Knight School. The king—skeptical due to her temperament rather than her gender—will allow it only after she demonstrates knightly virtues. “Even she knew that honor, kindness, and sacrifice weren’t exactly her strong points.” He sends her on a Quest of Kindness, requiring eight good deeds (with proof—the king knows she would cheat if she could). After her first attempt at kindness is a comedic flop, Princess Pulverizer hears of a queen whose jewels have gone missing. She deduces that an ogre must be the culprit and sets off to retrieve the jewels by purposefully getting captured. Getting out isn’t as easy as in, though. Cowardly Knight School dropout Lucas and his friend Dribble, a dragon ostracized because he’d rather cook grilled-cheese sandwiches than terrorize villages, attempt a rescue but with no success—the three outcasts must team up for a gassy escape solution. In the spot illustrations, animator Balistreri plays up the slapstick action and character expressiveness; Princess Pulverizer and her family appear to be white, while Lady Frump and other side characters are depicted with darker skin.
A wacky adventure that stands out through highlighting its heroine’s foibles, giving her plenty of room to grow in future installments. (Fantasy. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-515-15832-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2017
A great choice for logophiles and budding authors.
A magic spelling book turns a young girl’s world upside down as her family prepares for the arrival of a new baby brother.
Polly Diamond is an aspiring writer and loves words—all kinds of words! But she especially loves the words in a new spelling book left mysteriously on her doorstep, because when she writes in the book, the book writes back. After writing a few lists and stories in the book, Polly soon realizes that the book’s magic also has the power to make her words come true. She wants to show her amazing new book to her family, but Mom and Dad are busy with work and preparing the house for the new baby, including moving Polly’s 3-year-old sister into Polly’s room. When Polly tries to use the spelling book to improve things (turning her house into an enormous mansion and turning her sister into a banana), she soon discovers that the words she loves don’t always mean what she wants them to. Kuipers spins an enchanting adventure of magic and mishaps as Polly tries to master the art of wishes and to balance her talent for stories with her need to be literal. Toledano’s spot illustrations provide visual depth and a dynamic dimension of representation to Polly’s multiracial family (Dad is white and Mom is a woman of color) and world.
A great choice for logophiles and budding authors. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5232-5
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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