fantasy – Page 4 – One Chapter

The Skull by Jon Klassen

5 stars Fiction Folklore Middle School/ Children’s

What a clever story! I have always enjoyed Jon Klassen stories even though I know that I’m not his target audience. His stories, along with his art, are creative, moving, and they’re not over the top. I like the simplicity of what he does. He doesn’t try to put on a circus performance for his readers. He takes them on a journey. A journey of discovery, of wonder, and one that makes them want to keep flipping the pages.

Just opening The Skull, I knew I was in for a treat. The paper, the fonts and the colors used in the illustrations were setting the stage for this Tyrolean Folktale. Part One: Young Otilla has been running all night. Dressed in a hooded cape, Otilla pushes herself through snow that’s past her knees. What she is running from, I have no idea but her walking stick has kept her upright so far. As the dark, thick forest begins to crowd in on her, she begins to hear it call her name. Pushing herself, she makes her way through the trees and she discovers a huge, old house. Hope!

With a locked door, Otilla knocks and calls out. Yes! Someone immediately answers her call. Looking up, Otilla discovers that there’s a window above her and a skull had answered her call.

My mind was going as I turned the page and saw that I was going into Part Two of the book with three (3) different sections. There were so many different possibilities as to where this story might go. Otilla and the skull reach an agreement and they meet (I loved the creativity here and the illustrations were amazing). Seriously, I would love to share how the two of them conversed and discussed the house that the skull lived in but I feel that it would give away part of the story. I was enjoying their innocence, the tenderness, and the grace the two of them had with each other and how they accepted each other as they talked. The ballroom……..oh, the ballroom. You couldn’t knock the smile off my face at this point as I read.

Part Three: As the day winds down, the skull makes an offer to Otilla but it comes with a warning. Again, these two discuss everything and they come to an understanding, as friends should. The ending was fantastic!!

From the paper used in this book to the large print of the text, this book just didn’t think of the storyline and the illustrations. I liked how the author broke up the book into parts to give it an older audience appeal yet the story also appeals to younger children. Using a skull, there is a creepy tone to the story yet the folktale is not haunting or horrific. The illustrations were wonderful, I loved the color scheme used and it complimented the text. 5 stars

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

5 stars Dystopia/ Science FIction

Would I really want to know this? What would I do any differently if I did? The implications of what this information can and do to a person was immense. It’s worldwide, who would know these things and why did they do this? The implications of this information could do to a society was monumental. Imagine you open your front door one day and you find a box lying there. Inside this box, is a string that could tell you how many more years you have left to live. Would you want to open this box? Would you tell anyone if you did? Would you live your life any differently, if you did? If you didn’t open your box, would anxiety be eating at you because you do not know?

Oh, my friends, I’ve read this book over a week ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. The conversations I’ve had with individuals over this topic, let alone the book itself. I think I could read this book again and I would need to slowly read each sentence as I feel I inhaled the book the first time I read it. I was surprised at the impact that these little strings brought to the individuals, their families, relationships, communities, and the world. Holy Moly! As I read this book, I kept interrupting my husband and giving him the latest update on the book’s details yet after a while, he began asking me as I became absorbed and he started to feel left out. I guess I can say that we read this book together and we had some great conversations about it. I’ll admit that I’m not one into science fiction but this little gem of a book got me thinking and following the lives of the characters was a huge wake-up call.

As for me, I’d look at my string. I couldn’t handle the anxiety of not knowing. Would I change my life? Perhaps. I do try to enjoy each day now and luckily, I don’t have to worry about a string, at least for now. Read this for the thrill but don’t get too stressed out about it. 5 stars

Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

The mice are at it again! The Captain is sailing her ship with her passengers to explore a strange, uncharted island. But it is really uncharted? Looking at the picture on this page, I see a shape of a feline on the hillside. Some natives are performing a ceremony as the group arrives on the island when suddenly the island starts to shake! Through the forest comes Kat Kong!! It must have been the can of tuna they were using or perhaps it was the chant that they were saying that drew Kat Kong to the ceremony. Falling over the can of tuna, Kat Kong falls, hits his head, and passes out.

Acting fast, the explorers decide to tie Kat Kong up and take him back to the city with them. The city of Mouseoplis is excited to pay to see Kat Kong, this” nine-lived wonder of the world!” Kat Kong though is not excited to be shackled and on stage while all the mice stare at him. He must escape and he must escape now!

Ah…. This book is so funny! I thought it was better than Dogzilla. I loved all the little cat references and the movie tie-ins from King Kong. The illustrations are terrific and you really do need to read this one. I did think that the ending was sad. 5 stars

Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

4.5 stars Children’s Picture book

You have to love it! As First Annual Barbecue Cook-Off was getting underway in the city of Mousepolis, the succulent scent of BBQ filled the air. He was hidden so the mice didn’t realize what problems awaited them. Inside an ancient volcano, the scent reached Dogzilla and he emerged. Soldiers, alerted of Dogzilla’s appearance, had their plans to capture the beast fail and now, he was roaming their city, causing chaos. Well, maybe not chaos but “things that come naturally to dogs” like: chasing cars (“right off the freeway”) and chewing furniture (“and the furniture store as well”).

The Big Cheese needs to get Dogzilla out of the city, but how?

Some individuals might find this book cheesy but I thought it was cute and funny. The book is packed with lots of dog references which some children might not understand or get. My three-year-old grandson didn’t understand all of them but he still liked the book. The pictures in the book are just as cute as the text. Fun, entertaining story. 4.5 stars

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

5 stars Fiction Fantasy

I was totally sucked into this short book as a fifteen-year-old girl and her brother, Michael dealt with their mother and The Crane. I thought at first that The Crane was a metaphor for something else; perhaps a tall person, or someone who tried to take over (casted shadows over them) but when I started reading about wings and feathers and how this bird “nipped the well behind her collarbone, making a bright spot of blood,” I was startled! Their mom was in love with a bird! How can someone, a human, actually have a relationship with a crane? Was she seriously going to continue with this relationship?

The crane wore a hat, shoes, spectacles and he was holding his broken arm which had been tended to by their mother, when she introduced him to her children. Their mother was an artist, so usual behaviors around the house are not that uncommon but this Crane was pushing the limit. The Crane made himself right at home, at their house. Their mother seemed so calm about this new arrangement, yet the children were far from recognizing that this new male in the home, would now be their new father. The children didn’t want another father and they definitely didn’t want the Crane to fill that position. The Crane and mother were inseparable and the feathers were flying, literally. Mother tries to cover up her bruises and deep cuts, but they’re seen. She calls them paper cuts when her daughter draws attention to them and tries to dodge the conversation. Mother has her blinders on but her children see everything that’s happening. As the daughter tells me stories of their families past, I see mother’s relationship with her husband when he was still alive and what their family was like.

As an artist, mother’s studio was out in the barn. Like now, there were days that mother would vanish inside the barn all day. As a weaver, mother’s work was considered magical as she created pictures and stories at her loom where she worked weaving a variety of items into her prints. It’s a good thing that the siblings have a strong, supportive relationship with one another because when their mother would get wrapped up inside her work, everything else seizes to exist around her. Like before, mother is spending most of her time out in her studio. Mother’s obsession is twofold: her work and The Crane. As mother and the Crane disappear into the studio, the children must tend to themselves.

Imagine what it would be like to have a crane come into your home. His body size, his appetite, and his behavior are just a few of the things that you’d have to consider. The Crane brought with him some brand new issues and considerations that would otherwise seem strange and unnecessary to their home which the children noticed. The children wanted him gone but their determined mother said he was staying. How would this book play out? I had to know why? Why him? Why a Crane? Why was she working so secretly in her studio? Why would she do this to her children? A great book that fascinated me and kept me captivated until I closed the last page. 5 stars.

Paradise Sands by Levi Pinfold

5+ stars Children’s

Cover Love! I fell in love with the cover of this book while browsing the new picture books at my library. As I thumbed through the book, I knew I had to read it as the illustrations were just spectacular! I flipped to the back of the book, to read the author’s bio and then, I headed to my library’s website and placed all of the author’s books that they had on hold. Levi’s debut picture book Django was the Winner of the Book Trust Best New Illustrator Award and her other book, Black Dog also won a different award. I think Paradise Sands should also win an award as the illustrations are magnificent! Great artist detail and I loved how the author combined real world with fantasy to create such stunning artwork. Ok, on with the book.

The story is labeled, “A Story of Enchantment” and it definitely is. A girl is taking a car trip with her three brothers. From the faces on the children and the tone of the book, this is a serious trip. The siblings are visiting their mother. Sister wants to take their mother flowers so Bill pulls the car over and they all get out.

In the desert, this is a destination that they all recall, there’s white roses in Teller’s Hollow and they’ll take them. I liked how the text and illustration came together to show the family’s relationship. On foot, the four siblings climb the sandhills and rocky hills to gather flowers on this deserted rocky ledge. They spot a building in the distant. Sister wants to continue on their journey, they need to go see their mother while the brothers want to quench their thirst from the building. The brother’s thirst wins and they travel toward the building. Sister refuses to get a drink from the fountain but she watches as they do. They can’t leave now, the brothers feel the building calling them to enter, a feeling the boys can’t deny. Sister is on edge, memories from her mother flood her head and she knows they should be leaving. Her brothers seem to have forgotten about their original plans as they are now charmed by the paradise that this building is providing them.

It seems a bit odd why Sister is not behaving like her siblings in the building and why do mother’s comments pop into her head. Is there something more sinister happening here? When Sister is approached by the Teller, he tries to understand why she’s not accepting this “wonderful, safe place” that he’s offering them.

She tries to explain yet the Teller wants to strike up a deal with her. As she accepts this deal, I wonder what the Teller was capable of doing? Was Sister strong enough for this deal? Will they see their mother, wherever she was?

The illustrations inside this book were phenomenal! The way she captures the characters on the page was just remarkable and bringing in the element of fantasy, I was whisked away to where anything was possible. The story comes full circle and I had to start the book over again to experience the joy all over again. What an experience! I need to share this book with everyone I know! So yes, definitely pick this book up, I highly recommend it. Pick it up for yourself and then, share it with everyone that you know. I can’t wait to read the author’s other books! 5+ stars

All Hallows by Christopher Golden

5 stars Thriller

Now, that was creepy good! I enjoyed the intensity of the two storylines as they slowly built-up steams and I loved the intensity that swelled within this book once the festivities began. I fell back in time as I read this book, back to the day when everyone living on your block was on a first name basis and most neighborhoods were safe as help was just a few feet away. As one father and his daughter finished up preparations for their annual Halloween haunted woods, the rest of the neighborhood is getting ready for the annual Halloween block party. Candy is stocked at the door for the trick-or-treaters and it seems like everyone has their night planned out, so they won’t miss a thing.

Enthusiasm and excitement filled the air as this was a big night. The haunted woods grew more extravagant every year and they were eager to see what awaited them this year. The block party was a time for the neighborhood to come together and enjoy each other’s company, or at least that’s what this party had been in the past. As the children start the night with their trick-or-treating, they encounter some costumed children they don’t recognize. Could it just be the costumes that throw off who these individuals are or are these children not from around there? It’s when these children start asking the neighborhood children for help that warning flags when off in my head.

Sorry folks, your fun evening with your neighbors just got interesting. What a thrilling read! I loved so much about this book – 5 stars

Dangerous Dolls of Delaware #12 (American Chillers) by Johnathan Rand

5 stars Children’s Chapter

I bought a few of these American Chiller books when I saw a display of them a couple years ago and I’m finally reading one of them. The cover of the books is what drew me in and I liked that the titles had different states in the U.S.A. in them. I have a thing for creepy dolls so naturally I started with this book. On a sidenote, I bought a handful of creepy dolls once at an estate sale and I bought them home. I was real excited about my purchase, thinking I’d stage them around the house or outside and post pictures of them on social media, well…….that plan didn’t work. My husband saw them and he told me to get them out of the house. I didn’t think he was serious at first but he was – absolutely, dead serious! Dang! I found some people who loved creepy dolls and handed them off and now, I know my husband can’t handle creepy dolls.

What a great read! I have to say that for a children’s book, it really was a terrific read. I found that it was a fast-paced book with a handful of characters and a solid story. I liked that most of the chapters ended in a cliffhanger so that it pushed me to read the next chapter and it was hard to put the book down and do something else. Each chapter was only about 2 to 5 pages in length so I could commit to a short reading time slot, if I had to but with this story, I wanted to continue. The book wasn’t gory or difficult-to-read with complicated words or scenes that I had to configure inside my head. This book had an entertaining storyline that felt realistic and I could see myself in the shoes of one of the main characters, if I was only younger. Depending on the reader and their maturity level, I think a third grader could handle reading this book.

Spencer (11) and his sister Serena (12), were out digging for fishing worms for Spencer. Digging deeper, Serena’s shovel made a dull thud. Whatever was down there, it had been down there a long time. Hoisting the box out, they pried the lid off, and the siblings discover two ordinary-looking dolls. What a disappointment! This was no buried treasure but perhaps they might be able to sell the old dolls and make some money. That was the logic they used to take those old dolls home and this was their first big mistake.

You can imagine where this story is going as the siblings take the dolls home. Soon, the siblings begin to feel that the dolls are taking on a life of their own. They’re no longer the ordinary plain dolls that they pulled out of the muddy hole. No, these dolls are something else. Needing to get some information on these dolls, they locate a woman who knows a great deal about dolls including the two dolls that they should have left in the box, buried down in the dirt.

As this lady tells the story of the two dolls that the siblings have in their possession, I’m planning my own course of action as I felt the kids were too. Putting this plan into play became more difficult than anticipated though and the story becomes more exciting as the pages flew by. These were only dolls, right? Two dolls and two siblings, they should be able to get this under control quite quickly, right? The answer would be yes, if the dolls were just plain ordinary dolls but they’re not. They’ll need a calm day of fishing if they can ever get rid of these dolls. 5 stars

We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBride

5 stars YA Mental Health

This book was a bit more abstract than I had originally anticipated. I felt I was dancing around through the beginning pages of the book trying to get inside what was happening so I could fit it all together. What put this book into motion?

I could feel the emotions in the text and the flow of this book was fantastic. The sentences were arranged on the pages, just so. I felt it. I could feel the energy and the pauses without even looking.

“You can’t avoid this forever

or you’ll end up back here

again & again & …….

Mom’s voice trails off.

I swallow,

filling in the blanks.

Until I don’t…….until I am gone.

I’ll try harder,

I promise.”

She’s being treated at the hospital for depression. Whimsy can count on both hands the times that she’s been hospitalized for her illness but this time, it’ll be different. Watching from her window, a car approaches the hospital and she notices the mint-green hair. He’s alone. She sees something in his shadow and now, she needs to know more about this boy. Really, did she really see this? I think she better check again. Who is Whimsy and now, who is this boy that she calls Fae boy.

In the hospital, Whimsy goes to group therapy where she assigns all the individuals who attend, a Fairy Tale name. These names correspond to a specific trait of that individual so they’re actually fitting but some of these names, I wasn’t familiar with. Therefore, “a boy with mint-green hair (an actual Fae-I believe) actually named Faerry.” And “the silent one with stories on her skin & magic like electricity in her hair – that would be Me (Whimsy).” Whimsy has an old notebook that she’s had for many years, that she treasures. Inside this notebook, she writes Fairy Tales, ones that she has created and ones that were told to her. I found this notebook very interesting as I think it reflects a lot about Whimsy.

Once Whimsy and Fae are released from the hospital, their relationship continues as Fae’s family moves closer to where Whimsy’s family resides. It’s a magical, fairy tale world as the two friends discover a forest which is more than just trees. As the book progresses, the story came together and Whimsy was able to fully show herself. We are all so good at smiling but what are our smiles really hiding? I enjoy reading books dealing with these types of issues and I really loved how the author used poetry to convey her thoughts. The cover of this book is incredible.

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

4.5 stars YA

I don’t read a lot of fantasy but I thought this sounded interesting, “But Petra’s world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children – among them Petra and her family – have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.”

What exactly would this world be like? I have to tell you after the first part of the book sets up the storyline, the rest of the book was action! Hailey’s Comet has been thrown off course leaving everyone in a panic. Evacuating Earth, they select only a few of scientists and their family to start over on new planet over 300 years away. Petra wants to be a story teller like her grandmother as she loves the stories she tells and she wants to pass them on. Yet, Petra learns that as they’re in flight, each of the participates will be listening to information that they will need to survive in their new surroundings. This new information will be vital to their success on the new planet, yet Petra knows that she will lose her grandmother’s stories if she is subjected to this vital information.

Arriving on the new planet, excitement and hope should have filled the air, yet that’s not the case. What this group thought and anticipated was not what waited for them. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I needed to know what this new planet contained.

Like these participates, I wasn’t expecting what occurred. I felt relieved that they had finally made it yet to arrive and now what will happen? I felt a deep connection with the characters as they tried to figure things out. This was one book that I couldn’t put this book down until I finally finished it. I don’t read a lot of science fiction so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.