Princess of the Wild Swans

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler is a retelling of the Six Swans.  The story follows Meriel the only daughter in the kings household.  She adores her brothers and when her father comes home with a new wife who seems to resent their existence Meriel becomes worried.  After the new Queen sends her brothers to school Meriel is suspicious.  When she finds a new group of swans on the lake that seem like her brothers she knows that something is wrong.  She soon finds out that they've been enchanted and she must make them shirts out of stinging nettles and remain silent until the task is done.

This is a wonderful retelling.  Zahler does a fantastic job with these retellings in a way that makes them perfect for the middle grade readers who love princesses but have no desire to read a romantic story.  This book is full of magic, suspense and girl power.  I finished the book quickly and had a huge smile on my face when it was over.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic middle grade book that is also great for younger advanced readers.  The story is fun and interesting full of evil queens and princesses without the usual romance that you would find in fairytale retellings.  There is some nice vocabulary the lexile is 819.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-13 with the book being short and interesting enough for a read aloud.    

The Sisters Grimm

The Fairy Tale Detectives, the first book in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley follows Sabrina and her sister Daphne who move in with their grandmother in a very strange town.  They immediately notice that there is something strange in the house and town.  They soon find out that the town they live in is filled with fairytale characters and they must solve a mystery to save their grandmother from a giant that is tearing up the town.

This is a fun series that intermediate and middle grade readers will enjoy.  It's got two spunky female characters who are self reliant and smart.  The mystery combines the familiar tales with an imaginative spin and also introduces the fact that the sanitized versions that our kids were introduced to are different than the originals which were much scarier. 

Appropriateness:  This is a great book for readers who have graduated into full chapter books.  The reading level is about 4.5 (lexile 840) and the book is just over three hundred pages.  The story has some minor violence (of the action variety) but is not very scary.  While the two main characters are female there are several male characters that boys will like and there is not even a hint of romance.  I would recommend this book to boys and girls 9-13 (or younger readers who can handle the size of the book).  It is interesting enough that it will work as a read aloud and first in a multi book series.

How to Slay a Dragon

How to Slay a Dragon by Bill Allen tells the story of Greg Hart a small boy with an overactive imagination who is pulled into a real adventure in a different realm. Greg is told that he is Greghart the dragon slayer and that there is a prophecy that he is to slay the dragon and save the princess.  Greg and his new friend Lucky go on an adventure after adventure until finally meeting the dragon in his lair. 

This is a fantastic fantasy novel that is filled with adventure (and difficult vocabulary words!) and humor.  There is plenty of action (but nothing excessively violent).  I loved reading what adventure was going to happen next and how Greg and Lucky would get through them.  The book moves quickly from one scene to another and at around 250 pages it would make for a fantastic read aloud.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that boys will enjoy.  There are multiple strong male characters and the only female character while strong and spunky is only around for a small part of the book.  The book does have quite a bit of difficult vocabulary making it a great read for younger advanced readers.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14 who are fans of adventure and fantasy and as a read aloud for younger readers.

Review copy obtained by amazon vine

Slayers

Slayers by C.J. Hill follows Tori, a girl who has always been obsessed with dragons.  She begins the story as her sister drops her off at Dragon camp sure she won't last a week.  Things in camp are strange.  She's met personally by the director and then taken off to a cabin miles from the rest of the camp.  Tori soon learns that she's a Dragon slayer, complete with special powers that are activated with a special dragon simulator they have at the camp.  Tori and the other slayers must train to fight to prevent Overdrake, the dragon lord from using his dragons to take over.

I almost didn't read this one because honestly the cover and title made me think it was going to be a total fantasy book that I wouldn't enjoy.  I was surprised as this book turned out to be a nice mix of contemporary with the fantasy and plenty of action and even a bit of romance.  I loved the camp setting and the games the campers would play to work on their training and the final battles at the end were epic.  The mythology was original and well crafted making for a believable world.

Appropriateness:  This is a great action packed book that will engage reluctant readers and it's a perfect middle school book, focused on fantasy and action.  There is a bit of romance (and a budding love triangle) but not enough that it would turn off a reader that disliked romance.  I would recommend this book to readers 11-15

Wildwood

Wildwood by Colin Meloy follows Prue and Curtis as they enter the Wildwood in search of Prue's baby brother who was kidnapped by a murder (the correct term for a flock) of crows.  The two are quickly enveloped into a fantastical land with talking animals and a great political battle and become important to the freedom of the Wildwood.

This is a great fantasy novel that kids will love.  The world building is excellent and it is full of adventure.  The characters are separate for a large portion of the book and the author does a good job of keeping the story moving while moving back and forth between the characters.  I found the book to be too long for the intended audience (it is over 500 pages) and think that will turn off many readers (it turned me off).  It is also fully in the fantasy genre and does not offer much for crossover readers.

 Appropriateness:  Curtis gets drunk off of blackberry wine in the first few chapters.  It is treated as a fantasy event (and frankly, it makes him look like an idiot) and is not treated as a fun or a good decision, he drinks the wine because he is not offered water.  It is not anything that would bother me as a parent.  There is however a large amount of gruesome violence that young children might find upsetting.  The back of my ARC says this book is for grades 3-7 and I disagree with that assessment.  The book is HUGE and there are some massive vocabulary words which lead me to believe that it is written at a far more difficult reading level than the average third or fourth grader could handle.  The length makes it too long to work as a read aloud.   I would recommend this book to readers in grades 5-8 who are fans of fantasy (both male and female).

ARC provided by publisher (not sure who actually sent me the book, it arrived at my house so if you sent it thanks! 

-- If you really want to be entertained go check out the reviews on Amazon.  There is a delightfully hysterical one star review that made me laugh, it has an absurd amount of not helpful results.

Into the Wild/ Out of the Wild

The book Into the Wild follows Julie who is the Daughter of Rapunzel.  Julie's mom and her fairy tale friends escaped from the wild years before and the wild has remained safely contained underneath Julie's bed.  When someone makes a wish at a magic wishing well the wild is released and townspeople are forced to reenact it's famous stories.  Julie must find her way through the wild, acting out pieces of fairy tales to rescue her mother and save the town from the wild and allow them to get back to their regular lives.

Into the Wild is a delightful mix of fairy tales.  It introduces readers to a large mix of fairy tales and the reader is made aware of the differences between the real versions and the Disney versions.  Julie is a spunky independent girl who is able to think and work independently and cares about her family and friends.

Appropriateness:  Aside from a little scariness this book is appropriate for all middle grade and young adult audiences.  Julie is twelve and her adventure would appeal to kids in the 9-13 year old range.  The lexile is 530 putting it at a third grade reading level making it a good book for reluctant readers.  

The sequel Out of the Wild follows Julie on another adventure fighting to save the world and it is also very good.
 

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George follows Princess Poppy from George's Princess of the Midnight Ball as she is sent away to live with her cousins and ends up in the middle of another faerie plot in loose retelling of Cinderella.  Princess Poppy is living away for the first time without her sisters still reeling from the years of dancing every night she refuses to dance at the balls she attends with her aunt and uncle.  Ellen is a horrible maid, she makes a mess of everything.  When Ellen receives a mysterious message from a woman who claims to be her fairy godmother she is willing to overlook the magic in order to be treated like a princess.

Princess of the Midnight Ball is another delightful fairy tale retelling by Jessica Day George.  The characters are delightful and the romance is fresh and entertaining.  The Cinderella story is changed enough with the added faerie element to keep the reader guessing.

Appropriateness:  There is nothing questionable in the book.  I would recommend this book for readers aged 12 and up with it being appropriate for those who are younger.

My Fair Godmother

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison follows Savannah who is distraught when her boyfriend breaks up with her right before prom for her sister.  Savannah is soon visited by Chrissy who is only a Fair Godmother.  Chrissy messes up Savannah's wishes and first sends her to live as Cinderella and then Snow White.  Savannah then has to go back to the middle ages to rescue Tristan whom Chrissy sent to become a prince.

My Fair Godmother is a fun and original fairytale mashup.  Savannah is fun and spunky and her trips to the middle ages are a hoot.  The relationship between Savannah and Tristan is realistic and it's nice to see a book geared at this audience that doesn't involve either love at first sight, a love triangle or an obsessive and unrealistic crush on a boy that the heroine has been pining away for.  The pair slowly develop a relationship and it takes it's time to simmer and while there is some competition for love there isn't a triangle with a hurt person on one side to be seen.  I finished this book quickly and found it a quick read.

Appropriateness:  This is a clean novel.  Nothing that anyone would find offensive.  It wasn't as fluffy as some middle grade books so I think it would appeal to older teens as well as the middle grade audience.  The romance is innocent but realistic.  I would recommend this book to fans of fairy tales and teen chic lit 12 and up.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Huntress is the story of two girls who are sent on a journey to the fairy kingdom.  They have been sent to meet with the fairy queen to try to save their world which has become an eternal winter.  The two girls face many dangers along the way and fall in love.



Huntress is set in a lush fantasy world and will be enjoyed by lovers of fantasy.  The book was slow at parts as it was a long journey but the characters were well developed and interesting.  The lesbian romance was sweet and matter of fact instead of controversial or clandestine.

Appropriateness:  The back of my ARC says that it is for 15 and up and I can't quite figure out why.  There was nothing in this book that I would find inappropriate for even the youngest middle school reader.  The two romances (one between the prince and his female guard and one between the two girls) are both very sweet and doesn't include more than a few kisses.  The few bits of fantasy violence include the emotional consequences behind the actions.  Malinda Lo's previous book Ash had a lexile of 1050 which puts it around an eighth grade level and I would assume that the reading level would be the same for this book (which is fantastic, it's hard to find young adult books that are difficult reads).

Review copy provided by publisher.

Violet Eyes

Violet Eyes by Debbie Vigue from the Once Upon a Time series is a retelling of the fairytale The Princess and the Pea.  Violet comes across a man on her farm who is hurt by a fall from a horse.  Violet finds that the man whose name is Richard is a prince, the two fall in love.  When Richard returns to the castle Violet's parents tell her that she is a princess and she heads to the castle to compete in a contest to be Prince Richards wife.

This was a delightful but simple retelling of a familiar tale.  Young readers will enjoy the companionship between the princesses and Violet's determination to win the challenges instead of taking the easy way out.  While I would have appreciated a little more character development the short length and simple romance makes this book one that young readers will be able to enjoy. 

Appropriateness:  This is a retelling that young readers will adore.  There is a bit of kissing but not enough that it would turn off even the youngest of readers  The story focuses more on the journey than the romance and it focuses on the strength and determination of the different princesses.  I would suggest it for the 10-14 year old crowd with it being appropriate for younger readers who are fans of fairy tales.

Harry Potter is Not a Children's Book

Many parents seem to be in a huge rush for their kids to read Harry Potter.  As soon as their kids get beyond the Junie B Jones and Magic Treehouse books they run out and buy Harry Potter.  Even Amazon and Barnes and Noble list these books for 9-12 year olds.

What I see often that happens when elementary school readers are given Harry Potter is that they start the book, perhaps even making it through the second in the series and stop, deciding that they don't like Harry Potter and generally don't pick the series up again.  Their parents are confounded because every child likes Harry Potter and it is the ultimate chapter book so why not their child?

Harry Potter is HARD, much harder than most childrens and young adult (and adult) books.  Not only are they very difficult to read but the books are very long and there are seven of them which is a lot for a young reader. 

Additionally, Harry Grows up throughout the series and while he is fairly young when his adventures begins, he is an adult when the series ends, dealing with issues that to older readers can relate to more than younger readers.  The series is also very dark, the later books so much so that many adults find them scary.  Because of their length and reading levels I classify these books as Young Adult which are also appropriate for very advanced younger readers who are interested and motivated to read the series.

Here are the lexile rating and page length for all the books in the series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:  Lexile: 880  Length: 320

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2): Lexile 940 Length: 352

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3): Lexile 880  Length: 448

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4): Lexile 880 Length: 752

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: Lexile 950 Length: 870

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6):  Lexile 1030 Length: 672

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7): Lexile 980 Length: 784

That places the books from a sixth grade reading level to an eighth grade reading level (book number six).  Which means that elementary school age kids who are reading on grade level are going to find these book far more difficult than almost anything they have read, even at school.


My Fourth or Fifth Grader Loved Harry Potter and sped through all of the books!
You should be proud of your child and yourself.  You have a very good reader on your hands.  You should also encourage your child to reread these books again when they are in middle school so they can pick up what they probably missed the first time.  Part of the reason that these books are loved so much by librarians and teachers is because they are so difficult and many readers push themselves (YAY) because they are so enthralled in the story..


My seven year old has read books at a higher reading level than that so they're ready right?
Don't do it!!  The sheer length of these books is too much for kids that young.  If they're asking then get them the audio books.  Keep their reading to books that are shorter and wait till they are in third or fourth grade.  If they're audio book fans, that is always an option.

My child really wants to read the books but I'm afraid they're going to be discouraged as I know they are not super strong readers:
Try the audio books, they can listen to the books in the car or before bed (you could read them aloud but that will take months) .  Your child will develop literacy skills and enjoy the stories without being bogged down while trying to get through the text or struggle with the length. They can either read along with the audio books (my daughter loves to do this) or listen to the books without the text.  You can find the audio books in your public library. 


When is the right age to encourage my child to read Harry Potter?
These are young adult books that are perfect for a middle school aged child and are perfect for summer reading.  They are also generally on middle school recommended reading lists for schools that allow kids to pick their own books to read during silent reading periods at school.  The series is great for fourth or fifth graders who are advanced readers to start.

There are a few series, such as Percy Jackson, or The Underland Chronicles that are similar but not as quite as difficult or lengthy that are good predictors as to their readiness to read Harry Potter.  If your child has gotten through one of these series without difficulty then they should be able to handle Harry Potter.


The Harry Potter series is fantastic and one that I highly recommend.  However, parents need to be educated on the difficulty of the series, understanding that they are not the only books written for children and that your kids will be more likely to enjoy the series if they read it later rather than earlier.

There are so many wonderful children's books out there for kids to read.  Including ones that are filled with action and magic.  When you child first starts to enjoy reading for pleasure search for books that include topics they will enjoy and are written at a reading level that will not frustrate them.  Leave the 600 page difficult books till they are old enough to enjoy them without working too hard.

The Dragon Keeper Series

The Dragon Keepers Series by Kate Klimo consists of four books.  Dragon Keepers #1: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer, Dragon Keepers #2: The Dragon in the Driveway , Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library and the fourth book Dragon Keepers #4: The Dragon in the Volcano which will be released in late May.  These books follow ten year old cousins Jessie and Daisy who find that that the geode that they picked up while on a hike hatches revealing a talking baby dragon which they name Emmy.  Jessie and Daisy have to take care of Emmy and protect her from the evil St George who uses dragon blood to stay alive.

This series is very well written.  It has beautiful descriptive passages with difficult vocabulary words that are set in a context that young readers can infer their meanings without trouble.  Each chapter begins with a delightful picture to help kids picture the scene.  Emmy is very funny and does things that made my daughter laugh out loud.  The male and female leads make this a book which is equally enjoyable for both boys and girls.

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to an elementary school aged audience.  The lexile is 680 putting it at a high third grade level (a step up from the beginning chapter books).  The book has about 150 pages with chapters of varying lengths.  It is a story that very young readers can enjoy making it a great read aloud or book for advanced younger readers.  Older elementary school readers will find it interesting and funny enough to keep them engaged and the story is one that even reluctant readers will enjoy.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Throne of Fire

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers talk about books they're excited to read.

The second book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series Throne of Fire will be released on May 3rd.  This series follows Carter and Sadie and Egyptian mythology.

Here's the description from GoodReads: 

In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.

This series is  fantastic.  It is more difficult plot wise than the Percy Jackson series so it is great for readers who loved that series.  The lexile for the red pyramid is 650 putting it at a fourth grade reading level.

The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins is a series that follows the adventures of Gregor.  When Gregor and his sister Boots fall through a grate in his apartment building they find an underland world filled with giant talking bats, cockroaches, spiders, evil rats and an entire human civilization.  After his arrival Gregor is told that a profit foretold his arrival and he is destined to be the warrior that will save the human race.  The five books chronicle the adventures of Gregor, his sister Boots, a giant cockroach named Temp, the underland princess Luxa, Gregor's bat Aries and Ripred a "rager" rat who is working with the humans as they fight the rats.

This series is fantastic.  Each book features an element of warfare, rescuing a prisoner of war, assassination, genocide, chemical warfare and military intelligence.  The elements of PTSD and the repercussions of such violence are also included.  These heavy topics are woven masterfully into a beautiful fantasy world with a brave hero and great friends in a way that makes them very accessible for kids.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic series for the 10-14 year old audience and it is a series that will speak strongly to boys (although there are also great female characters that girls will love).  The book is fairly violent (lots of sword fights) and there are some sections in the later books that sensitive kids may find upsetting (I cried in a section of the fourth book), this is a civilization at war and there are casualties on both sides.  The lexile for the books is around 630 putting the books at a fifth grade level.   

Cloaked

In Cloaked Johnny, a lover of shoes, is approached by a princess who needs him to rescue her brother who has been turned into a frog by a witch.  She gives him a magic cloak, headphones that will let him talk to animals that used to be human and some money and some vague directions and sends him on his way.  Throughout his adventures he encounters giants, witches, men with guns and his best friend Meg and ends up with his own fairytale ending.

Cloaked, unlike Alex Flinn's other two fairy tale novels Beastly and A Kiss in Time is not just a modern retelling of one fairytale.  It takes elements from several less known fairy tales and combines them.  The result is a fun and original tale with just the right bit of romance and action.  It is a light and fluffy story and a very quick and easy read (I finished it in about three hours).

Appropriateness:  This is a book that can be enjoyed by the entire YA audience and even younger readers looking for romance.  The romance is sweet and not something that would intimidate young readers and there is no substance abuse or violence.  The lexile for this book is 580 putting it at a third or fourth grade reading level making it a perfect novel for reluctant middle school aged readers.

Review copy received from Amazon Vine

The False Princess

The False Princess follows Sinda, a girl who is kicked out of the castle after it is revealed that she is not really a princess but a girl taken from her family to take the princesses place because of a prophecy that the princess would be murdered before her sixteenth birthday.  Sinda returns to live with her aunt who is not happy to have her there and then moves by herself to the city where she must solve a mystery with the help of her best friend Kiernan.

This is a delightful fairy tale of a story.  The author does a fantastic job of building a world full of magic and royalty that readers will enjoy.  The plot developed slowly but in a way that allowed readers to become invested in the character and the romance.  Sinda starts off as a fairly spineless girl who doesn't make a bit of a fuss when she is forced to leave her life and everything she knows.  She slowly grows as a character and becomes strong both physically and mentally and is able to stick up for not only herself but those that she feels have been wronged.

Appropriateness:  This is a delightful book that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.  The romance involves just a bit of kissing and there is no substance abuse.  There is a bit of magical violence but not enough to scare even the youngest of readers.  I would recommend this to readers aged 10 and up (with the main audience being middle school girls) with it being appropriate for younger advanced readers who can handle the length or who are listening to the audio book.

Dragonsdale

Dragonsdale by Salamanda Drake follows Cara, a girl who lives on a dragon farm.  Cara's mom died while flying a dragon so Cara's father has forbidden her to ride.  It is a nice combination of a dragon and a horse story.  You can read a longer summary here.

My daughter picked this one up at our local book fair and I wasn't thrilled.  The cover is very pretty and fancy and it was about dragons (the book she was reading at the time was also about dragons) and she thought it looked terrific.  However, this  book is huge (almost three hundred pages and the print is not large) and it was signifigantly more difficult than the usual things she reads.  I reminded her several times that she could quit if she wanted (it took her about a month to finish) and she had several other books she could read instead and she refused each time.  Even though this was a very long book with difficult vocabulary she was so interested in the story that she would not stop reading.  That tells me that this is an excellent book.  


Scholastic states the reading level for this book at 5.6 and a lexile at 900 (compare that with the young adult books I review!).  The book uses difficult vocabulary words but does a fantastic job of putting them in context so that young readers can figure out what they mean and there are pictures to help the reader visualize Cara's fantasy world.  I would recommend this book to upper elementary school students and to young advanced readers.  It would also be an excellent read aloud for younger kids who will enjoy Cara's story.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George is a beautiful retelling of the Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.  An ice filled fairytale of a girl who lives in an ice castle with a polar bear and has to fight the troll queen.

This is a beautiful retelling that fills in the holes in the original story. I was unfamiliar with the fairy tale when I read this book and fell in love.  The princess is smart and crafty and strong and has to save her prince from the evil troll queen.

Appropriateness:  This is a book that will speak to all ages.  The content is G rated (the prince does sleep on the other side of the bed with the girl but it is innocent) and the tale is so sweet that I checked to see if they had the audio version at the library for my six year old daughter to listen to.  On the other hand when my English teacher father was here for Christmas he read the book and declared that he enjoyed it very much (which is a lot for him).    The lexile is 810 which puts it at a mid fifth grade level which is perfect for middle school readers and the content makes it acceptable for upper elementary school advanced readers who would like a little romance (and a strong princess for once!).

The Percy Jackson Series

The Percy Jackson series is one of the most popular middle grade series on the market right now.  The series is more popular with the boys (while also popular with girls) and I see a copy every day when I substitute in middle school classrooms.  The first novel was recently made into a movie. 

The series follows Percy Jackson, a boy who finds out that his father is one of the Greek Gods his fellow demigod Annabeth and his Satyr friend Grover.  In each book he goes on an adventure and fights various mythological monsters.  Many of the stories mirror the stories in more famous works (such as the Odyssey) that kids will read in school and will spur interest in the original tales and research on the monsters themselves.

This series works as a great read aloud (although you may want to keep google handy so you can show your child pictures of the monsters) and is great for advanced readers.  Unlike the Harry Potter books which become more difficult with each book in the series (often causing younger readers to give up on the series) these books are all at the same reading level.  Scholastic lists the books at a fifth grade reading level.  The books are appropriate as a read aloud for second grade and up.  There is fantasy fighting and monsters.  There is a hint of romance but nothing that would put off a young child.