Wondrous Strange

Livingston, Lesley. Wondrous Strange. HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. ISBN 978-0-06-157537-2

There are several elements of this book that make it a great read. First, it has a unique setting and several themes that, in themselves, could be the backdrop for a novel: a young actress trying to make it on the Shakespearean stages of New York City, the Shakespearean basis of the world of faeries and that world's intermingling with our own, the identity crises of a young woman who finds out she is not who she thought she was, and a budding romance. Any of these themes could have an interesting story built around it, but once combined, Livingston does a fine job of not making it convoluted, but rather seamless and transparent.

Mystical, beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable, this story is a pleasure to read from start to finish. The descriptions of the Fae (faeries) and their world as both appealing and foreboding is solid, and the sacrifices one will make for true love combined with themes from A Midsummer Night's Dream (and plenty of action) make this an easy book to recommend for all ages.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide

DiTerlizzi, T., Black, H. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide. Simon and Schuster, 2003. ISBN: 0-689-85936-8.
Perfect for the reluctant reader! This short chapter book is chock full of interesting characters, detailed and clever illustrations (mostly pen and ink, but some in full color), maps, clues, and fantasy suspense. The size of the book alone will be comforting to a tween who may be afraid of larger volumes, and the fact that it has been made into a major motion picture will give it some familiarity.

I was surprised at how enthralling this book was from the very start. Book one of five, the cliffhanger ending will leave the reader longing for more stories of the three Grace children who move to an old family estate where they encounter faeries, boggarts, and a field guide that will help them better understand the world that is "closer than you think." Nearly every page has an illustration or description of some other-worldly creature, and even the pages themselves are cut to give the book an old, weathered appearance.

A clever beginning sets the pace, as a "real" letter written to the authors from the Grace children introduce the "fantastical" world the reader is about to encounter. A superb beginner chapter book that will help introduce the fantasy genre to young readers.

For more information about the authors, see the the following websites:

http://www.blackholly.com/
http://www.diterlizzi.com/