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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 →

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 →

Red Dragon Codex – R. D. Henham

R. D. Henham, scribe in the Great Library of Palanthas, brings us “Red Dragon Codex,” a story taken from the annals of the library and brought into the light to be shared with all who are curious about the lives of dragons. Only one of a series, in this book we learn more about the red dragon. Mudd and his sister Hiera live in the small village of Potter’s Mill where they often visit the village seer, Shemnara. A few years ago, Shemnara was visited by a young man named Kirak who was seeking the famed Dragon’s Well. She had … Continue reading →

Brandon Sanderson to Finish Robert Jordan Series

Robert Jordan was one of the most well-known fantasy writers of our time. His “Wheel of Time” series sold over fourteen million copies in North America and over thirty million copies worldwide. He created a new world and a new language that is often quoted by his followers, to the befuddlement of those around them who have not yet discovered his books. Unfortunately, Jordan passed away in September from an unusual blood disease. He had already begun outlining the twelfth and final book in the “Wheel of Time” series and had compiled copious notes on how the book should flow. … Continue reading →

Book of Enchantments – Patricia C. Wrede

The more I read by this author, the more “enchanted” I find myself. She has taken the traditional fairy tale format and tweaked it, even poking at the stereotypical and making it seem funny. You recall the review I wrote on “Dealing with Dragons” –I loved that book and will continue to snap up whatever else I find by the same author. “Book of Enchantments” is a collection of short stories that take place in fantasy worlds in ages past as well as our own world in our own time. I’d like to share with you the highlights of some … 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 Golden Compass – Philip Pullman

I recently reread The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. It’s the first book of a trilogy called His Dark Materials. Although it’s a young adult book, with a preteen protagonist, the themes are mature and deep enough to interest adult readers – especially those of us who enjoy fantasies. The protagonist is Lyra, a young girl who is being alternately raised and ignored by the scholars of Oxford University. This England and this Oxford are different than ours in many ways. The technology is different. Magic and religion are closely related, and religion organizations control the universities and political positions. … 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 →

Dealing with Dragons – Patricia C. Wrede

“Dealing with Dragons” is a simply delightful young adult fantasy about a princess named Cimorene. Like all princesses, she is expected to act with a certain amount of decorum and she’s being educated in very useful things like embroidery and how to get rescued by princes, although she never can remember when she’s supposed to scream and when she’s supposed to simper. She sneaks off to various parts of the castle and learns a little bit of magic, a little bit of sword play, and the basics of cooking, but her parents find out about her clandestine education and forbid … Continue reading →

Summer Reading

Here we are, just a few short hours away from the official start of summer, even though we’ve have temperatures in the 90’s for quite a while where I live. School’s out, kids are home, moms are busy – and that doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for reading. Many children do their reading in conjunction with school, and this is why libraries set up summer reading programs, to give kids the incentive to keep reading when they’re not at school. You can check with your library to see what they’re offering by way of reward – we got … Continue reading →