Tag: Julie Berry

Posted in Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade

Magic, madness, and a cow-ostrich romance!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Emperor’s Ostrich, by Julie Berry, (June 2017, Roaring Brook Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781596439580

Recommended for readers 8-12

A zany fantasy romp with a dairy maid in search of her lost cow puts readers on the path to an adventure that will introduce them to a self-described romantic hero, a spoiled emperor on the run, and his ostrich, who forms a bond with the runaway cow. Begonia, the dairy maid, is a responsible young woman who helps her mother care for the family farm and her younger sister; when her cow, Alfalfa, meanders away, Begonia sets out to find her and ends up on a magical quest that will put the responsibility for saving the emperor and the kingdom squarely on her shoulders. Thank goodness she has help from Key, a wandering young man who describes himself as a romantic hero; and two magical beings, who oversee the adventure from a distance.

The story is a fun fantasy adventure with nods to magic, corruption, feminism, and commentary on overindulged wealth. Readers will enjoy the lovestruck cow and ostrich, the banter between Key and Begonia, and the host of characters they encounter on their adventure. Booktalk this with Lloyd Alexander’s fantasy novels: author Julie Berry calls The Emperor’s Ostrich her love letter to his books.

Julie Berry’s book, The Passion of Dolssa, is a 2017 Printz Honor title. The Emperor’s Ostrich received starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal.

Posted in Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Characters I Wish I Could Check in With

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week, I’m looking at ten characters from fiction that I would like to check in with, see how they’re doing, how life’s treating them.

toptentuesday2

Alexia and Connal from Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series. I know I’ve got the adventures of their daughter, Prudence, waiting for me on my night table, and I hope I hear more about one of my favorite couples in fiction. These two are one of the sexiest steampunk paranormal couples in the history of ever. (And if I could find out how Ivy’s doing, I would be really, really happy, too.)

Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter series. What happened to my favorite witch when all was said and done? Did she retire, and is happily feline, laying in a sunbeam? I need to know these things.

Richard Mayhew from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. What’s he up to these days? And what’s Door doing?

Fern from Charlotte’s Web. I’d love to know what happened to Fern as she grew up. And come to think of it, how did the rest of Wilbur’s life go, with Charlotte keeping him off the dinner table?

Claudia and Jamie from e.l. konigburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Did these two get a complimentary membership to the Met? Did they stay in New York City when they grew up? Did they ever consider holing up in the Hayden Planetarium?

Oliver in I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President. This kid has got to be dictator of some small nation by now, right?

Ponyboy from The Outsiders. I think of Ponyboy like I do the narrator in Stand By Me, a writer, looking back on his youth. What happened to him after high school? Did Daryl make him stay in school? Did he go to college? What about Sodapop and Daryl? I hope they stayed close.

The girls from St. Etheldra’s, from Julie Berry’s Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. I hope we get more books with these girls, because I loved this one. But if we don’t, what does a group of Victorian schoolgirls do, once they’ve hidden two bodies and tried to carry on as if nothing ever happened?

Holden Caulfield, from Catcher in the Rye. Come on, aren’t you the slightest bit curious?

Gale from The Hunger Games. Please tell me he met a nice girl that wasn’t interested in a government-sponsored relationship and settled down. PLEASE.

 

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place – A Hilarious Whodunit!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

scandalous sisterhoodThe Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, by Julie Berry (Roaring Brook Press, Sept 2013) $15.99, ISBN: 9781596439566

Recommended for ages 10+

In Victorian England, seven girls are students at St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls when their headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her brother, Mr. Godding, drop dead at the dinner table, poisoned. Once the girls are sure that the poisoner isn’t among them, they figure out their next steps – namely, how to get Mrs. Plackett and her brother out of sight, and creating a cover story that will allow them to continue on at St. Etheldreda’s, unchaperoned, mistresses of their own destiny! The only problem – the poisoner REALLY wants the targets out of the picture. And if everyone thinks the headmistress and her brother are still alive, then the girls may still be in danger.

The seven girls are often identified with an adjective that gives readers a background on their personality: Disgraceful Mary Jane, who’s more concerned with the attention of the opposite sex than she is about keeping to their cover story; Stout Alice, who’s stout of heart as well as body; Dour Elinor, who could be the mother of the goth movement; Dull Martha, who’s… well… not that bright; Dear Robert, a kind soul with nothing bad to say about anyone; Pocked Louise, the burgeoning scientist with a bit of a blemish condition, and Smooth Kitty, daughter of a businessman, who seems to have inherited his smooth talking business acumen. Their personalities clash and meld according to the situation as they work together to keep up their façade and solve the mysteries that continue to pop up around them.

The book is darkly funny – think the Gashlycrumb Tinies in finishing school. It’s a comedy of manners meets a Victorian crime drama, and Julie Berry – a noted middle grade and YA novelist – embraces the genres. I enjoyed every second I read this book. If I were to find out that somehow, some way, we’d get to go on more adventures with the Sisterhood, I’d be thrilled!

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place hits stores on September 23rd. I’ve already got my order in for my library – this will make for fun Fall reading! Treat yourself and your middle graders/tweens to this hilarious whodunit.

Julie Berry’s author page provides links to social media and information about author visits, plus book info.

Take a look at The Scandalous Sisterhood’s book trailer – then get your order in!