Fairy Realm
by Emily Rodda, published 2000
“The Door is locked, and we don’t have the magic to open it any more. We’re very sorry. But we can’t send you back. Ever.”
I love the Fairy Realm children’s books, from book 1, The Charm Bracelet, to the last one which left me wishing they would go on forever. I love stepping from our human world into the world of the fairies, where magic, beauty, goodness, and yes, also a bit of evil, mingle together with drama to create adventure after adventure for Jessica.
These children’s books are small, simply written, and a wonderful choice for read-aloud to the five to eight-year olds, even if they can read themselves. They can be a little to suspenseful for bedtime reading, depending on the child’s temperament. But they are always filled with a good resolution.
With each adventure, Jessica adds another charm to her bracelet, helping her remember all that happens in the fairy realm. And with her memories, children also get to create memories of magic and fantasy
In some ways these are light-weight books, not just because they are small, but because there is no real profound message lying underneath the plot. But that is in fact what makes them so lovely. They are just simply good, made-up stories. You don’t have to work too hard to understand them. Good is good, bad is bad, and good always wins out.
Because they are about a little girl, her grandmother, and fairies, I have to put these children’s books as especially for girls. But I would surely hope that boys under age of 8 would still be able be able to enjoy these as well. I know I plan to try them out on my grandson.
There are about 12 books in the whole series, and I can recommend them all. Savor them slowly, like a favorite comfort food.
