In this children's book, number 9 in the Squire's Tale series, at last we have a book solely about Terrance the squire. He is the most mysterious of all, being part fairy. We find out so much more here.
The Squire’s Quest
The Legend of the King
In the final children's book in The Squire Tale series, we come to the conclusion of the Arthurian cycle of stories, with it's bittersweet ending. Book number 10 has to bring it all to an end, even though we will come back and read these stories again and again.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Published: 2007 Theme: Finding One's Destiny Best for: 9 and up "Hugo had become a thief to survive and help the automaton. What would his punishment be? Was he now going to spend the rest of his life behind the counter of this toy booth like the old man?...There had to be something else." To spend time with this children's book is a one-of-a-kind experience. The full-page illustrations complement the very dramatic unfolding of events...
Katrin’s Chronicles: The Canon of Jacquelene Dyanne
Published: 2013 Theme: Inner Power and Mystery Best for: 12 -14 "There are those who, unmistakably, have a powerful talent, able to access the sensory energy of the world around them.They can even learn to work with it, harness it, utilize it to make change. Your sister is showing clear signs that she has these talents." A blend of inner power, African-American life in Chicago, and the thrill of solving mysteries makes this a very unusual book.
On A Beam of Light
Published: 2013 Theme: Curiosity Best for: 5 - 8 "Suddenly he knew there were mysteries in the word, hidden and silent, unknown and unseen. He wanted, more than anything, to understand those mysteries." Here's a treasure - an authentic story about Albert Einstein, written with very young children in mind, accompanied by absolutely magical illustrations. I am so in love with this one...
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
Published: 2005 Theme: Wonder in Daily Life Best for: 8 and up "Sit down now, Eben McAllister, and pay attention to what I say," she ordered me. So I sat. Because when folks in Sassafras Springs start to tell a story, it's likely to take a while." It's hard to believe this is a contemporary children's book, as it reads and feels like something from another time and place.. the style is slow, rambling, and filled with stories of ordinary people's little miracles...
Catherine, Called Birdy
Published: 1994 Theme: 13th Century Life Best for: girls 12 and older "I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say." It's not often that I read a somewhat serious children's book that makes me laugh out loud. This book certainly does that, due to the main character, a sharp, funny, sarcastic, and somewhat willful 13th century teenager.
School For Adventurers: The First Fight
Published: 2007 Theme: Loyalty Best for: age 11 and up "If the difference between a surviving group of students and a dead group of students is that a thief managed to sneak behind the enemy and steal a magic weapon or incapacitate a skilled mage, then it's well worth risking moral ambiguity." Here's a children's book that is just non-stop adventure from chapter to chapter, as well you might expect with its title. Well-written and fast-paced...
Grimm is Still Too Grim
Here's a discovery I made about Grimm fairy tales... Even when they are rewritten by a great author, and the setting is changed, they still carry the dark, brooding energy of the original Grimm tale. For that reason, I can't recommend something even though it's by a favorite author. Shannon Hale, who wrote a wonderful…
Robin Hood
Published: 1917 Theme: Chivalry Best for: ages 10 and up "Be not robbers to any who are poor and who are good fellows--having only their poverty against them. Be kind to those who help you, but exact toll as heretofore of all who come through the greenwood. The rich to pay in money, and blood--if it be necessary." Given how riveting the tale of Robin Hood is, I surely hope others don't wait as long as I did to finally read this masterpiece of children's literature. It is everything I had hoped it would be...
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