Tag: evil queen

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

It’s a Fairy Tale Summer: Girl in the Tower

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

girl in the tower_1The Girl in the Tower, by Lisa Schroeder/Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli, (March 2016, Henry Holt & Co.), $16.99, ISBN: 9780805095135

Recommended for ages 8-12

In true fairy tale fashion, we have an evil queen, a magic spell, and a hidden princess. Young Violet has never known life outside of the castle tower: the evil Queen Bogdana imprisoned her mother shortly after Violet was born, believing that Violet’s beauty will allow her to create a spell that will make her just as beautiful. Bogdana enchanted Violet’s father, sending him away with no memories of his wife or new baby. Mother and daughter pass their days making up stories for one another, alone in their small cell. Thankfully, the palace staff looks after the two, even creating a beautiful garden to sneak the young girl out to once in a while, where she plays with the hummingbirds that live in the garden. As Violet nears the age where the queen can work her spell, she takes Violet, telling her she will become a princess and be adopted by Bogdana and the king, but can never see her mother again. Violet’s mother makes the sacrifice for her daughter’s sake, but Violet is far too smart for Bogdana – she knows something is strange in the castle, and she’s going to find out and reunite her family.

girl in the tower_3

This is a wonderfully modern fairy tale that retains the sense of wonder and magic from classic tales. Violet is a spunky, smart young princess in training, the Bogdana is a perfectly evil queen with a deep-seated self-esteem complex. Ms. Schroeder may humanize Bogdana by letting us in on her motivation, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s done horrible things to people for the most insipid purposes, and Violet – a naturally lovely and kind foil to Bogdana’s darkness – is going to set the balance right. It’s a great book with strong heroines – her mother is pretty outstanding, herself – and I can’t wait to get this onto my shelves and into my booktalks. I love my fairy tales – the kids here all know it – so I’ll be chattering this up alongside Imelda and the Goblin King for a nice discussion on smart heroines. The black and white illustrations by Nicoletta Ceccoli add beautiful depth to the story.

girl in the tower_7

Add this one to your middle grade fairy tale collections, and take a look at some more of the artwork here:

girl in the tower_2girl in the tower_4girl in the tower_5girl in the tower_6

 

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Tween Reads

Book Review: The Magnificent 12: The Call, by Michael Grant (Katherine Tegen Books, 2010)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 9-12

Mack MacAvoy is a medium kid – medium in height and build, medium in looks, medium in grades – he’s so ordinary that his own parents don’t really notice him most of the time. That all changes when Grimluk, an ancient man dressed in an old black robe, appears in his school hallway and announces that he is one of the Magnifica, a group of 12 children who will have to save the world from the ancient evil of the Pale Queen. In no time at all, Mack and his bully protector Stefan are swept off to locate the other 11 Magnifica, but it won’t be easy – the Pale Queen’s daughter, Eriskigal, and the monsters at her command, will stop at nothing to destroy them before they even begin.

The Magnificent 12 is a fun adventure series with good character development and interaction; the story moves at a pace that will keep readers’ interest. The chapters alternate between Grimluk’s story, providing an establishing backstory, and Mack’s story, laying the groundwork for the future books in the series. There are villains, monsters, and prophecies galore and with both male and female characters, boys and girls alike should find this a good read. International locales lend a James Bond-type feel to the adventure.

The series website offers the chance for visitors to create their own avatars, play games, and enter a sweepstakes to win a copy of the latest book in the series, The Trap. An online map also acts as Mack’s travel journal where readers can learn facts about the different countries where Mack’s adventures take place. Educators can find essay questions, discussion questions, and lesson starters on the “Educators” section of the site. The author’s website offers a biography, FAQ, information about his books, and contact information.