The Princess Curse retells the traditional story The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but with a twist. The first wave of fairy tale retelling novels were pretty straight-forward: merely novel-length retellings of the fairy tale. The second wave contained heroines that were more strong and opinionated, but they often seemed all of a type — just modern women dropped into medieval settings with all their anachronistic ideas intact. The authors took pains to point out that their main characters weren’t “just” princesses, but they never gave us any examples of what else they were.

Reveka, of The Princess Curse, on the other hand, is very clear about who she is and what she wants. She was raised in a convent (while her father, a soldier, was fighting in various wars), and is now an herbalist’s apprentice. What she wants more than anything is to be an herbalist herself and to have her own herbary in a convent. Her needs and desires — and considerable skills! — tie directly into the action of the plot, and is the catalyst for several major revelations in this well-told story.

In addition to a compelling and believeable protagonist, Haskell gives us a very specific setting. The story is set in Sylvania, a fiction region of the real country Romania, and mentions Hungary and Transylvania. Many of the fantasy elements are derived from the Romanian language and folklore, and are worked into the dialogue and description seamlessly.

We all think we know the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but really: what’s life like in the castle for those who aren’t royalty? How are the countries surrounding their kingdom reacting to the problem? How did the princesses end up in that magical predicament anyway? And who precisely is it that placed them under that enchantment? What does that mysterious person really want, and why? Reveka’s journey through her own story will give readers the answers to all these questions.

Posted by: Sarah

Oh, Max was alright, but I found him a bit of a whiner and maybe too much of a “Boy Scout.” Actually he was a Boy Scout and proud of it. Don’t get me wrong, I have a long and happy history with both the Cub and Boy Scouts, but, really, I’ve never met a 6th grade boy as upstanding as Max. For me, he just didn’t ring true.

I did however, really enjoy the book. It’s a great adventure, full of tension, excitement, mystery humore and surprises. It has heart, especially because of the three secondary characters. One of the biggest surprises for me was how involved I became with Banderbrock the warrior badger, McTavish the cantankerous barn cat and especially the amiable, slow-witted but fiercely loyal “sheriff” bear, Walden.

After a somewhat slow and confusing beginning, I found myself keenly interested in solving the mystery of exactly where—and why—the friends found themselves. What had they done to deserve the wrath of the malicious “Blue Cutters” who hounded them so relentlessly, and would they ever see their homes again? Thanks to Willingham’s forte as a storyteller, all becomes clear. There seems to actually be a possibility for a sequel. I’d be interested to see—and read–that.

Posted by: Eileen

This is an exciting story and a good historical description of life in New York City for immigrant families living in the tenements. Recommended for children in grades 5 and up.

Posted by: Fran W.

Posted by: Liz

Pie takes place in the small town of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania in the 1950’s. The story opens with the death of Ipswitch’s most famous resident, Polly Portman. Polly is famous because of her extraordinary pies that have earned her 13 coveted Blueberry Awards, a national award. This coupled with the fact that Polly gives the pies away for free brings people from all over the country to the small town. When Polly Portman dies suddenly, the entire town is left trying to figure out how to live without her famous pies. To make matters worse, Polly has left meticulous notes on how to make her pie fillings, but not her delicious pie crust. To everyone’s dismay, the pie crust recipe has been left to Polly’s cat, Lardo. Polly’s beloved niece, Alice, inherits fat, cantankerous Lardo and is therefore thrust into the spotlight as people from miles around try to hunt down Polly’s famous pie crust recipe. The recipe is so sought after that Lardo is kidnapped from Alice’s house and Alice and her friend Charlie must start an investigation of all of the town’s people to retrieve Lardo.

This book is filled with charm. The language Sarah Weeks uses to describe Ipswitch and its inhabitants is delightful. Scattered throughout the book are Alice’s original songs which sound like 1950’s advertising jingles. Finally, recipes for Polly’s pies open each chapter and are sure to inspire many bakers to try making them.

Posted by: Kelly

Posted by: Mary

Toys Come Home tells the story of how Stingray, a (highly intelligent) blue plush marine animal; Lumphy, a valiant stuffed buffalo; and Plastic, a round red ball came to live together at the Girl’s house. Of the three, Stingray arrives first, and in the beginning she is friendless. She doesn’t quite fit in with any of the other toys, and hasn’t yet made her way deep into the Girl’s heart. But this is a story of friendship, after all, and Stingray begins to find her way when, in one of the most moving scenes I’ve read in a while, she and the Girl find Lumphy in a store among hundreds of other toys. The two get along famously, but encounter a problem when Plastic arrives. Plastic brings with her a buoyant curiosity about the world, which eventually leads her to ask some deep questions which prove very distressing to the three. But again, this is a story of friendship, which is ultimately the answer to the question for Stingray, Lumphy, and Plastic.

This is a lovely story told with wit and tenderness. It would make a beautiful family read aloud, being one of those books that can be understood on a number of levels and will be appreciated by young and old alike. It is decorated with soft pencil drawings by Paul O. Zelinsky (I especially appreciated his sympathetic rendition of Bobby Dot, an insufferable stuffed walrus, covered in the Girl’s puke). As far as which book to read first – this from the Author’s Note: “The events in Toys Come Home occur before the events in Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party, but this book was written last. I suspect the stories are best read in the order they were written, rather than chronologically, but I leave the choice to the readers.” As for me, I think I’ll now read Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party, then go back and read Toys Come Home once more. Recommended for all ages.

Posted by: Parry

After a day at the zoo, Amanda brings home a new surprise – a fluffy stuffed panda. Alligator does not like this surprise. Panda quickly learns that quite a bit of time is spent waiting around for Amanda. Panda does not like all this waiting. Hmm, two bored stuffed animals discover that a new friendship can be the most delightful surprise of all!

Posted by: Wendy

Children who like tiny things often like books about tiny creatures. Joining the grand tradition of The Borrowers, The Littles, and myriad others, is Richard Peck’s new book Secrets at Sea.

Peck’s book is part of what I call the ‘Mice in Outfits’ genre (The Rescuers, The Mouse and His Child, The Mousewife — all of which I adore), but he couples that tradition with his own particular sensibility. Secrets at Sea is the story of Helena, the eldest of a (distinguished but recently diminished) family of mice (Louisa, Beatrice and Lamont) who are living in the same Edwardian-era Hudson Valley house as the Upstairs Cranstons, a somewhat vapid family who decide to go to England to give their awkward eldest daughter a chance to catch a husband. The mice — in spite of their fear of water — go along, of course, and while the Upstairs Cranstons’ journey pays glorious dividends, the Downstairs Cranstons’ reaps completely unexpected results.

More like Fair Weather than any of Peck’s more recent books, Secrets at Sea is full of lovely details for both the tiny-oriented (a grand yardstick dinner table, spools for chairs, soup served out of thimbles), and those who love adventurous capers. Even young Titanic enthusiasts might enjoy reading about a non-doomed ocean voyage for a change. Secrets at Sea is recommended highly for all kinds of readers.

Posted by: Sarah