Search Results for: blog into the labyrinth roderick townley

Into the Labyrinth – Roderick Townley

What if characters in books were real people, acting out their lines like performers on a stage? Look at the novel you set down to surf the Web. What if the characters in that novel are sitting down and taking a breather, chatting amongst themselves, and will spring back into action when you pick the book up again? That is the premise of “Into the Labyrinth” by Roderick Townley. Princess Sylvie is the heroine of a fairy tale adventure called “The Great Good Thing,” which has been out of print for years. She and all of her fellow characters have … Continue reading →

Author Interview—J. Scott Savage, on Writing Fantasy

Yesterday we were joined by J. Scott Savage, author of the soon-to-be-released young adult fantasy novel, “Farworld: Water Keep.” If you missed the first installment, you can click here to catch up. Scott, I understand “Water Keep” is the first of a series. How many books will follow, and how frequently will they be released? Seventeen books released one every three years. Just kidding! There are five books. The titles of books two, three, and four are Land Keep, Air Keep, and Fire Keep. I’m still working on the title for book five. They will be released one book every … Continue reading →

A Wizard Named Nell – Jackie French Koller

“A Wizard Named Nell” is the first book in a series entitled “The Keepers,” which is fantasy geared toward the intermediate reading level. My daughter took one look at it and clamored to be next to read it, and I’ll have no problem at all letting her. It’s a fun adventure with just enough peril, but not too much. Many hundreds of years ago, two wizard brothers fought for control of the land. The good wizard, desperate for his evil brother to be conquered, put himself and all his magic in a scepter that shone more brightly than the sun. … Continue reading →

The Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo

I’ve been blogging for Families.com for a year now (happy blogoversary to me!) and one of my favorite parts of the job is finding great books and then telling you all about them. “The Tale of Despereaux” is such a book. Despereaux was the smallest mouse his mother had ever seen. When he was born, his eyes were open – very uncommon for a mouse – and she was sure he wouldn’t live. He did live, however, and found himself able to do things that the other mice couldn’t. He had a wonderful appreciation for music, which smelled like honey … Continue reading →

The Transfigured Hart – Jane Yolen

A young adult fantasy novella, “The Transfigured Hart” is the story of a white deer, a boy, a girl, and the quest they are all on. Richard has a weak heart, and has spent most of the last year in bed, reading. An orphan, he has been taken in by his aunt and uncle, who, although caring, can’t understand his obsession with books or his desire to make charts of everything he’s read. Now that he’s feeling better, they think he should be outside, running around with friends and regaining his strength, but he is happiest with books, and often … Continue reading →