This is simply one of the most delightful books I’ve ever read. Nine-year-old Amy of Eddybrook is growing up in the kind-of-magical medieval realm of Goredd. Her father is a weaver and her mother is a barbarian ex-warrior clockmaker; her best friend/worst enemy Bran lives on the nearest farm and her tutor is a dragon–whoops! But don’t tell anyone about that last part! Amy’s life seems very idyllic and uncomplicated–there are imaginative games, weddings, and interactions with friends and neighbors–but she’s beginning to grow up and notice the lives of the adults around her. Those lives don’t seem to be as perfect as she thought they would be.
Much like the story, the artwork in this graphic novel seems simplistic at first, but reveals its depths later on. Each character is an individual, with expressions that are true-to-life and extremely evocative. The reader will really care about the future happiness of his or her favorite characters and root for them to succeed.
The best part about this book is the world that author Rachael Hartman has created. Every part of it is fully realized and so inviting that it makes the reader want to enter the book and explore it. Any child who enjoys historical fiction or fantasy would enjoy this book, but the fantasy elements are so muted that a child who prefers realism would be equally happy. I highly recommend this book for all readers.
Posted by: Sarah
In an effort to update our Easy Funny Books list, I came across this clever and humorous story. Not only would it appeal to 1st – 3rd graders, but I really enjoyed it too (which I can’t really say so much for some of the other books on the list – maybe if I was in 2nd grade). The story starts out with Minnie noticing that her jelly donut is gone and Moo consequently deciding that someone has stolen it! Moo finds a blue feather and believes it is the clue needed to solve the crime. He leads them on a “wild goose chase” looking for the blue chicken who must be the culprit. In the end, Moo discovers that the culprit is Minnie herself! Minnie must have sat on the donut and has been walking around with it on her bottom this whole time. What a surprise ending (so to speak). Really cute and clever, and I was surprised by the ending too!
I’ve just finished reading an amusing adventure called The Abernathy Boys by Laura Hunt. This book is about brothers, Bud and Temp, who decide to follow in their adventuresome father’s footsteps and have some exciting times of their own. The Abernathy brothers are young cowboys who set out in the summer of 1909 to travel through the caprock, which is a vast and lonely Texas desert, to reach their destination of the Goodnight Ranch in New Mexico. 
