When a dark force transforms Grayling’s mother into a tree, she must track the evil and free her mother’s stolen spell book. Grayling has never been far from home, and she has no skills with which to battle a sorcerer, so along her journey, she gathers a team of companions with various magical inclination, including a shapeshifting mouse and a witch who can control the weather. Together they follow the call of Grayling’s mother’s book to the source of the evil that’s taken it, and there, Grayling will have to fight to free the grimoire.
It might be impossible not to enjoy a book with a shapeshifting mouse. Pook might have been my favorite character, though Grayling’s other companions were fun in other ways. I liked that Grayling has to find her own strength and talent, and that it comes in a way she doesn’t expect. Her confidence builds with each challenge she faces.
Grayling’s relationship with her mom seemed a little less focused. Or maybe I lost track of the details in the story. Either way, I found it odd that she had the memories of the hurtful things her mom had said and yet from other descriptions, her mom seemed really caring and compassionate and close to Grayling. I kind of want to go back and reread to see if it’s just me being confused because I wanted them to be closer or whether there are in fact mixed signals in the story.
This was a fun, offbeat read that went pretty quickly. I think I read the whole thing in an evening. I definitely enjoyed it. This is a great one to add to that summer reading list for late elementary-aged readers.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content One of Grayling’s companions is an enchantress. Men tend to fall in love with her and can easily be persuaded to give her anything she wants.
Spiritual Content A dark force has stolen spell books from persons of various magical gifting. In Grayling’s world, whether magic is good or evil depends on how it’s used—whether to help or hurt someone.
Violent Content A soldier captures Grayling and her companions and threatens to hold them captive until they make him invulnerable.
Drug Content
Various herbs are used to heal. At an inn, the companions are offered mead.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As Kyne settles into his new home and new school, he begins to notice strange things happening around him. He wakes with strange bruises that seem to match up with bumps he must have gotten in his dreams. In those dreams, he’s a prince of a faraway realm, on the run for his life, whose only friend seems to be an irritable red dragon. With each night the dreams become more vivid, and Kyne realizes they may in fact be as real as his waking life.
The dragon was probably my favorite character – because, seriously, who can resist a snappy dragon? I liked Kyne and his friend Zip, too. They were interesting characters, and immediately I wanted to know more about them.
I found the first few chapters a bit confusing – especially as the story introduced Jason, Kyne’s counterpart. It seemed like by the time he was introduced I was already supposed to know who he was. Once I figured it out, though, I was able to move forward with no problems. I liked the mechanism of shifting through dreams into another dimension, and the fact that instead of our world being the origin of the story and the characters traveling through to a fantasy realm, this world actually was the foreign world to Kyne and his family. I thought that was a cool way to make this concept a little different than the usual approach.
Another unusual touch is the cover art, which was created by the author’s children. I thought that was a creative way to draw kids into the creative process and involve them in having a novel published.
Romance/Sexual Content A man pinches Kyne’s mother on her rear while she’s working as a waitress. Kyne’s grandfather immediately attacks the man and stops him from harassing her.
Spiritual Content Kyne’s mother and grandfather refer to God as the One and make note to pray for His blessing. In times of trouble, characters sometimes stop and pray. A dragon shows up to help Kyne when he is in trouble.
A prince grows up with a terrible curse, in which anything he wishes for will come true. During his childhood, this gets him in a lot of trouble, because, as children do, he wishes for some things which turn out to be terrible and then he can’t undo them. Eventually he learns to use the power of his words to help others and promote peace, but it’s a hard-won lesson that doesn’t come easily.
Violent Content Battle scenes show soldiers being shot down with arrows and run through with swords. That’s about the level of detail that the story goes into though.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When Zomorod Yousefzadeh and her family move (again), she decides to take the opportunity to start fresh and try to fit in with her new California schoolmates. The first thing to go? Her name. She adopts the classic Brady Bunch Cindy as her identity. After a rough start, she begins to find true friends. But when unrest in Iran turns into an American hostage crisis, Cindy begins to catch glimpses of an uglier side of the Land of the Free. Cruel bumper stickers and slogans send chilling messages to Cindy and her family. Cindy tries to protect her parents from some of the cruelty, and her friends try to encourage her that not everyone feels so negatively about Iranians. Ultimately, Cindy has to navigate her own way through the crisis and find the balance between devotion to her family, pride in her heritage, and the freedom to pursue her own individual identity.
This is the story of a young Iranian girl in the United States during a time when anti-Iranian sentiments run high. Even though we’re talking about the late 1970s, much of the conflict and hate Cindy and her family faced made me think about the way Muslim families in the US are sometimes treated in the US today. The hate and fear-based unkindness were wrong then and are just as wrong now.
While the exploration of American feeling toward Middle Easterners or Muslims is a heavy topic, it does not dominate the story. In fact, Cindy is a spitfire girl who’s determined to stay positive and help her family as much as she can. She’s funny and kind—one of my favorite parts of the story was her voice and way of describing things. It absolutely captured, for me, what it was like to be in middle school and the kinds of friendships I had. It made me want to call my own Carolyn and Howie (Cindy’s friends) and retell our own stories from those times.
I loved this story for its own sake. I will always enjoy tales about an awkward middle school girl finding her people, discovering who she is and what really matters. At its core, that’s what Cindy’s story is, and her sense of humor and her compassionate heart make her an incredible heroine.
Beyond that, though, I think we need narratives like this one. A young Middle Eastern girl is a girl like any other girl. This story reminds us to be angry that a girl and her family face prejudice for their nationality. It reminds us of the common bonds we share as human beings, of the value of the freedoms we have as Americans and the responsibility we have to use those freedoms to promote life, liberty and happiness in the lives of those around us.
I definitely recommend this book. My daughter is ten and I really want us to read this book together this summer. The author has some great classroom resources listed on her web site, and information about the Falafel Kindness Project, a project that promotes creating a safe, bully-free environment for kids.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Cindy and her family are non-practicing Muslims. At school, she’s friends with a Christian and a Jewish girl and there’s a brief conversation about how they worship the same God.
Violent Content While Americans are held hostage in Iran, Cindy’s family encounters hostility from neighbors and strangers. Someone leaves a dead hamster on the family’s doorstep. One man enters their house wearing a shirt that says “Wanted: Iranians for Target Practice.” Cindy briefly discusses the differences between American freedom and life in Iran, where the shah had protestors killed and free speech was a right guaranteed to the people.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Bad things keep happening to fourth-grader Benny and his family. His best friend moved away, and he hasn’t been able to find a new one. His dad’s still recovering from a brain injury (was it Benny’s fault?) His mom tells him to focus on being kind to others, and with a new kindness program at school, Benny’s trying his best, but no one seems to notice. As things get worse, Benny worries his family will never be able to recover, and nothing will be the same again.
Benny is quite possibly the most lovable boy in literature. He strives to be a good brother both to his oldest brother Martin, who has a girlfriend for the first time. He takes care of his brother George, who has autism. He even struggles through an unrewarding friendship with a pushy boy in his class. Inspired by the story of the Indian in the Cupboard, Benny creates his own movie using Lego minifigures to tell the story of heroes who wake to find themselves trapped in the life of toys. As Benny’s heroes learn to face the challenges fate brings them, so he also finds the courage to brave life’s scary unknowns, including the terrifying experience of a parent who may never be the same.
Benny’s mom is incredible. In the midst of overwhelming circumstances, she teaches Benny to pursue kindness, but she remains real and frank herself about her own worries. In one scene in which Benny’s dad’s condition is still pretty dire, she confesses, “You don’t think you could ever, in a million years, handle it, and then it happens and you do. You just go one day at a time, and suddenly you realize, here I am. I’m handling it.” It’s moments like these that make the simple truths in this story so powerful and moving. This is a wonderful story about very simple things: love, community, and kindness.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Benny’s class studies the Zen short stories. He mentions one story and relates its lesson to what’s happening facing trials in his own life.
Violent Content Benny flies over the handlebars of his bike and crash lands on the track. When his dad tries to help him up, they bonk heads. Later, his dad collapses with a brain injury. Benny blames himself.
Drug Content
None.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Irish Banana Tours Presents: The Door by the Staircase Tour
Today I’m participating in a book tour arranged by the beautiful Hannah at Irish Banana Blog Tours. Please check out the other stops on the tour (see below!) and enter the giveaway for a copy of The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh. Also, check out Katherine Marsh’s top ten facts about Baba Yaga, a character from Russian folklore who inspired Madame Z in the book!
About The Door By the Staircase by Katherine Marsh
Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes can’t stand her orphanage for another night. But when an attempted escape through the stove pipe doesn’t go quite as well as she’d hoped, Mary fears she’ll be stuck in the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever.
The very next day, a mysterious woman named Madame Z appears at the orphanage requesting to adopt Mary, and the matron’s all too happy to get the girl off her hands. Soon, Mary is fed a hearty meal, dressed in a clean, new nightgown and shown to a soft bed with blankets piled high. She can hardly believe she isn’t dreaming!
But when Mary begins to explore the strange nearby town with the help of her new friend, Jacob, she learns a terrifying secret about Madame Z’s true identity. If Mary’s not careful, her new home might just turn into a nightmare.
Top Ten Facts about Baba Yaga of Russian Folklore from Author Katherine Marshall
Baba Yaga, a witch from Russian folklore inspired some elements of Madame Z in The Door by the Staircase. Today, Katherine Marshall joins me here to describe some of the lore surrounding this mythical character and gives us some hints about what we might see from the folk tales in her novel.
1. She eats children…but she sometimes also helps them.
If you’ve heard of Baba Yaga at all, you’ve probably heard that she’s a fearsome Russian witch who eats men, women, children or anyone else who wanders into her kingdom. But this is not completely true. Every once in a while, Baba Yaga helps someone. Often that someone is a child who lacks a mother and who is brave, kind of heart, and deserving of some magical intervention. This capacity for good makes Baba Yaga unique among fairy tale witches and is one of the qualities that attracted me to her.
2. She may be the oldest European folktale witch.
Baba Yaga has her roots in the pagan beliefs of the original tribes that populated Russia. Some even believe she originated as a Paleolithic nature goddess. In some tales, Baba Yaga has the power to control the weather; in others she is a protector of the forest and the animals who populate it; in yet others, she is a weaver with the power to spin the thread of life, somewhat like the Greek Fates. (In my book, she does versions of all three).
3. She doesn’t actually live in Russia.
This one is really a surprise to most people because she is known as a Russian witch! But technically, Baba Yaga lives in a magical kingdom next to Russia. In my book, this kingdom is mobile and can be parked next to other countries—such as America—as well. This way Baba Yaga can sample some international cuisine…
4. She has a frighteningly strong sense of smell.
In the folktales, Baba Yaga can tell when a hapless soul has crossed into her forest kingdom using only her very long nose. “Fie, fie, I smell the Russian scent,” she typically says. In my book, Baba Yaga can even smell a child’s fear, which makes running away from her pretty tricky.
5. She lives in a house on chicken legs.
Imagine living in a house with a personality of its own. Baba Yaga lives in a house on chicken legs that spins around and reveals its door on her command. In some tales, the house can even move around. In my version, it does some other things that a part-chicken, part-house might naturally do.
6. She has three pairs of magic flying hands that help her in the kitchen.
Long before the Adamms Family and their disembodied hand “Thing,” Baba Yaga was assisted in her daily tasks by three pairs of bodiless hands who she sometimes called my “soul friends.” Of course, I had to work these creepy magical servants into my book as well.
7. She bakes her meals in a giant oven.
For centuries, Russians did their cooking in an enormous multipurpose oven called a pech. The pech was at the center of the house and was used to prepare food, provide warmth and even as sleeping space (peasants would sleep on top of it, especially in winter). Baba Yaga’s pech is naturally just the right size to cook up anyone she might find appetizing.
8. She would never be caught riding a broomstick.
Unlike Western witches, Baba Yaga makes her nightly journeys not on a broomstick but in a mortar, which she steers through the sky with a pestle. She is not completely adverse to brooms though—she uses a birch broom to sweep the clouds and hide traces of her passage from human eyes. Driving a mortar, as you’ll find out in my book, is an acquired skill.
9. Her servants are not always faithful to her.
In addition to her magical friends, Baba Yaga has other servants—including a talking cat, a magic horse and, for a time, the wizard Koshchey the Deathless (all of whom play a role in my book). Sometimes they disobey her and assist her victims for purposes of their own.
10. She is a mother.
Well, actually, there’s some debate over this. Some tales claim Baba Yaga has a daughter named Marynka or Marina. But even if she is not a biological mother, she is a figure that represents the wisdom and power of women, even marginalized ones. In that sense, I always felt she had potential as a mother…if just the right type of child arrived at her door.
When tough circumstances force Kammie’s family to relocate, she’s determined to make the most of the change. She approaches the prettiest, most popular girls and attempts to join their group. Only what results is Kammie standing on a board that splits and sends her tumbling into a well. Trapped and slowly sinking further, Kammie begs her new “friends” to help her get out. As she waits for them to bring help (and wonders if they’ve simply abandoned her) she begins to think about the good times lost and the struggles her family currently faces. Then she begins to run out of air. Joined by hallucinations, some less than friendly, Kammie wonders if she’ll be rescued, or if her last view of the world will be the dark interior of the well and the small circle of sky above her.
At first I worried that a story about a girl trapped in a well would be sort of boring. I imagine it’s kind of the way people felt before seeing Rear Window when they learned that the whole movie was filmed on a tiny set about a man in a wheelchair. (Other than the scene in which he breaks his leg, we see the whole movie from his apartment. Crazy.) Anyway – this book was not as suspenseful as the classic Hitchcock film, but it never tried to be. Still, it was far from boring.
I liked Kammie pretty immediately. She’s a spunky narrator. You can feel how hard she’s trying to fit in and have a posse around her and how lonely and isolated she is since all the drama with her family has happened. You know she’s worth ten of each of the silly girls she wanted to be friends with, and she’s smart enough to realize it, too.
I thought her relationship with her brother was especially moving. I can’t think of a lot of stories with good examples of brother/sister relationships during that time of life when sibs sometimes grow apart, each seeking their own identity. I liked that this story captured that process so well, even if it was bittersweet.
Kammie’s memories of her life before falling in the well are definitely what keeps the story moving between rescue-related events. Rivers unwinds bits and pieces of this nameless tragedy that shattered Kammie’s life, and it was easy to chase those hints and flashes down looking for what really happened to this remarkable girl.
I thought the tone and the brief use of profanity made it a heavier read than most other middle grade books. Don’t get me wrong – I thought the story was great. See below for more specifics on content.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
One swear word is repeated several times in a sentence as Kammie realizes the dire situation she’s in. There are a few crude references to bodily functions.
Romance/Sexual Content None.
Spiritual Content Kammie thinks about her grandma, who has died, and wonders briefly if she’s in Heaven.
Violence Girls play a prank on Kammie which leads to her falling into a well. Kammie sustains serious injuries due to her fall.
Drug Content
Her father drinks alcohol.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
