Fantasy Pick: Dividing Eden (Guest Reviewer Erin Sanchez)

Dividing Eden
by Joelle Charbonneau
HarperTeen
2017
336 pages
ISBN: 97800032453846

Guest review by Erin Sanchez, library media specialist at Helen Ball Elementary School in El Paso, Texas. Follow Erin on Twitter @librarian_HBES

Twins Carys and Andreus have always been close, so much so that Princess Carys hides her brother's secret, tarnishing her own reputation and watching as her brother gains his way into the hearts of their people. Older brother Prince Micah is to inherit the throne of their father, but when their father, the king, and the crown prince are assassinated, the Queen is next to ascend tot he throne.

The Queen is mad with grief and it is left to the Council of Elders to make the drastic decision of trusting Imogene, a seer, who reveals an option for crowning the successor. Carys and Andreus will compete for the throne of Eden.

The kingdom of Eden is on a dark path. Andreus betrays his twin as tragedy and secrets unfold. A hidden curse comes to the surface. Many things are possible as the first book ends. Readers will have to wait until book two to discover Eden's secrets.

Dividing Eden is the first of two books in this YA fantasy duology.

Recommended grade 8 and up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation nor did guest reviewer Erin Sanchez.

Young Reader Pick: Bloom

Bloom
by Doreen Cronin
Illustrations by David Small
A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
2016
32 pages
ISBN:9781442406209


"A mud fairy, an extraordinary girl, and a castle in peril." (from the front cover)

Bloom is not your ordinary fairy. Gone is the fairy dust, the twinkling wings, the sparkling wand. Bloom has heavy feet and leaves mud wherever she goes. The king and queen are appalled. Their kingdom is made of glass; they don't want all that mud dirtying things up. Bloom can make flowers bloom where weeds used to grow and she can make glass out of sand. All this magic isn't enough to gain the favor of the royals. They tell Bloom that she must leave. Off she goes to the forest where she makes flowers grow everywhere.

After a few years, the kingdom is in disrepair. The king and queen don't know what to do! The king ventures into the forest to ask for Bloom's help. When he declines, he sends the queen hoping for better luck. The queen also turns away Bloom's "dirty" answer to their problem. They decide to send a young servant girl who is a "nobody" hoping she will get the secret to saving their kingdom.

Genevieve finds Bloom and asks for her magic. Bloom gives her a shovel and tells her, " I will show you the magic that can save your kingdom." Genevieve is amazed! She can make bricks! She can get dirty and build things! She is worried that the king and queen will never believe her because she's just a commoner, "an ordinary girl." Bloom's answer is the mantra that all girls should hear, "Tell them there is no such thing as an ordinary girl..."With her newfound sense of power and self-esteem, Genevieve returns to her kingdom and saves it!

I LOVE the message! I love the HEART! This is a must read for every single girl on the planet (no matter what age)! Even the boys! Doreen Cronin, you have done it again! Thank you for your genius, insight, and heart. You have created a truly marvelous picture book that readers will treasure.

Illustrations by David Small and smart placement of font size and lettering carry the story across each spread. When we see Genevieve return to her kingdom, she shatters the palace door and bits and shards fly across the page.

What a treasure! What a gem of a story! Well done, you two!

So highly recommended that everyone should own this book! It's message is that great! This is a wonderful book for new readers and its mantra of, "There is no such thing as an ordinary girl," should be over the hallowed halls of every place of learning and over every crib.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Fairy Tale Pick: The Wild Swans

The Wild Swans
by Jackie Morris
color illustrations
Janetta Otter-Barry Books
2015
173 pages
ISBN: 9781847805362

Simply a stunning children's book! Beautifully imagined illustrations will captivate and are ethereal, lovely, and delicate.

Eliza is a happy young princess whose doting father and loving mother keep her safe in their care and the warmth of their love envelops her. Her eleven older brothers are strong, handsome and brave and love her dearly. Everything is sunshine and roses until her mother dies. Suddenly the castle is quiet and cold, foreboding even. Her father grieves and leaves daily to hunt with his men in the forest.

One day, Eliza's father comes home with a strange catch. Her father has a new bride and Eliza's brothers are not to come home. Eliza misses her brothers almost as much as she misses her dead mother. This new "mother" is not loving and caring. The new queen discovers her husband's sons and turns them all into swans. Eliza sees her brothers take flight and leave one by one. Now she has no one save her mother's favorite giant dog. The dog and Eliza bond, both having lost the lady their so dearly loved. The evil stepmother (now queen) casts Eliza out and poor, doomed Eliza wanders the woods until she finds a Fairy Queen who tells her how to save her brothers and break the spell.

Eliza must endure years of toil and loneliness in order to save her brothers and reunite her family with her father. This retelling of a story by Hans Christian Andersen is inspiring and breathtaking. A crowning achievement for author/illustrator Jackie Morris!

Look for a FREE giveaway on of this book on my blog within the next few days. You could win a free copy!

Highly, highly recommended for any fairy tale fan. A must for all fairy tale collections.

Suitable grade 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Whimsical Pick: Dragons at Crumbling Castle

Dragons at Crumbling Castle
by Terry Pratchett
Clarion
2015 (first U.S. edition)
337 pages
ISBN: 9780544466593

Whimsical and amazing, Dragons at Crumbling Castle is a collection of fourteen short stories showcasing the mad wit of Sir Terry Pratchett at his fantastical best. Witches, wizards, dragons, princesses, kingdoms, plots and magic are afoot throughout.

Pratchett finds the magical  in the oddest, tiniest places: a dust mote or a carpet, for example.  Readers will be swept (pun intended) along for a fanciful ride. Frollicking with knights, dancing with princesses and brimming with possibilities this is one collection of stories that will be well-digested and loved by readers everywhere.

This collection of never before stories will resonate with fairy tale readers and gain a new following with young readers who have not discovered Pratchett's magic.

Highly, highly recommended for readers grade 4-up. Younger readers may not catch some subtle political and social nuances, but they are sure to enjoy the story anyway.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Tween Pick: Twice Upon a Time

Twice Upon a Time
by James Riley
Aladdin
2013
340 pages

Simply hilarious hijinks and playful, pun-y dialog with snarky insight and in-your-face sarcasm, James Riley's characters shine! May, Jack and Phillip are in search of May's true identity. She won't believe the evil Queen is her real grandmother; there has to be some other explanation. Traveling through a normal fairy tale would be easy; if only May's  adventures were  really like the ones in a book. May's fairy tale is entirely different. Mermaids aren't friendly, the big bad wolf is hungry, and fairies are evil. The Land of Never is full of overweight, middle-aged, clueless ninnies--not imaginative, playful children who never grow up.

The wolf says the Queen wants the intruders alive and unhurt, but,"...if you resist, I could just tell her that it wasn't possible, that I was forced to bite off an arm here or there." After escaping the wolf and some goblins, the three find themselves in the Land of Never, where no one ever grows up--oh, people age, but they just  never grow up. Middle aged adults act like happy children who want to play make believe and swim in the chocolate river. May tells them to stop their inane singing and to stop acting like kids and they run off. Next adventure, rescuing  Peter from the friendliest pirates in history.

After a run-in with Bluebeard and evil Mer-people, May hears about her family's secret. Jack's heart is broken and he leaves for the next adventure. The series promises to have a fun ending; pick up Once Upon: The End to complete the series.

A must-have for fans of fractured fairy tales and fairy tale inspired books, Twice Upon a Time is fun entertainment at its best and is sure to leave readers laughing.

Highly, highly recommeded grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensationf or this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Dystopian Fiction Pick

Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Dial Books, 2010 (orginally published in Britain in 2007)
442 pages

Provocative, compelling, thrilling, dark, dangerous, gritty, and disturbing. This is a book that I dreamt about for a week after reading it. Not a novel that one will soon forget. Although it takes about thirty pages to set up, from there on, the reader will be enveloped in a fantasy world gone wrong. Creatures beyond description haunt Incarceron's walls.

The setting acts as a character in this dystopian fantasy. Incarceron is a prison that was set up to house the worst of all society--it has been sealed up for centuries and has evolved into a living, breathing, thinking entity. Like Hal, the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the prison takes over. It sees all and knows all. No one has ever escaped except one man; one man who has become a legend, a myth, and a fairy tale. Only Sapphique has escaped and knows the way.

Finn is not like the other prisoners; he remembers Outside. He is sworn to his oath brother Keiro and is tied to Gildas, a Sapienti who seeks the Outside. Because Finn sees visions, he is known as a starseer. He even has dreams of Sapphique leading him from Incarceron.

The warden of Incarceron holds the fate of the prison, and his daughter Claudia will marry and become Queen of the realm. That is, until she finds a key that unlocks Incarceron. Claudia and Finn are able to communicate through this key.

On the Outside, life seems perfect, and it is except that there is no freedom. "We are chained hand and foot...enslaved to a static, empty world where men and women can't read, where scientific advances of the ages are the preserve of the rich, where artists and poets are doomed to endless repititions and sterile reworkings of past masterpieces. Nothing is new. New does not exist. Nothing changes, nothing grows, evolves, develops. Time has stopped. Progress is forbidden." (Incarceron, p. 243)

Once Incarceron is threatened, the realm will tremble.

Book Two: Sapphique due out December 2010.

Highly, highly recommended grades 8-up. May not be suitable for younger readers due to violence. No sex, no language.


FTC Required Disclaimer: I bought this book for my library. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.