Tag: fantasy

Once Upon a Unicorn

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Curious is a unicorn. He doesn’t quite seem to fit in with the other unicorns, because his Scientific Mind makes him interested in things the rest of them don’t care about.

Midnight is a night mare. She can’t quite seem to keep her fire under control, and that makes it hard for her to be included with the rest of the nightmares.

Everyone knows that unicorns and night mares don’t like each other. It’s just not how things work. But when Curious and Midnight cross paths while on an Experiment and a Plan (respectively), they’ll have to work together to escape from pumpkin-headed fae, figure out what the fairy queen is up to, and maybe save their world.

What I loved most:

I picked up Once Upon a Unicorn on a day when life was feeling heavy and I wanted to escape the world for a while. Anders built such a fun, rich, beautiful world – and it was a delight to escape to. I love unicorns, so trust me – I have read a lot of unicorn books (see my post on Welcome to Unicorn School for another one of my fav unicorn stories). I’ve never encountered anything quite like the night mares found in this story (which are clearly NOT the opposite of unicorns – just ask Midnight). I appreciate the way that Curious’s and Midnight’s eccentricities were strengths, and essential to who they were. I am also a sucker for any chosen family stories, and I adore how Curious and Midnight overcame their prejudices to create a solid bond. I loved this story as an adult, and I know that any kids reading it will be just as swept up into this world as I was.

Read this book if you like:

Unicorns, fantasy worlds, enemies-to-friends scenarios, fae, laughing while on adventures

Book details:

  • Author: Lou Anders
  • Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
  • Date of Publication: August 25, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: 4th – 7th grade
  • Look up Once Upon a Unicorn on WorldCat to find it at library near you!

The Hippo at the End of the Hall

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

When Ben receives a mysterious invitation to the Gee Museum, he has to investigate. For some reason, the pictures on the invitation stir up memories of his long-lost father. But that wouldn’t make sense, as he’s been gone for so long. When Ben arrives at the museum, it’s old and run-down, and the posted hours indicate that it’s barely open. But when he steps inside, he walks into a world of talking animals, magic, and adventure. Will he be able to save the museum from a nefarious developer and the owner of the other museum in town? The animals from the museum seem to think it’s his destiny.

What I loved most:

If you crossed the fever-dream quality of Alice in Wonderland with the vivid imagery of The Chronicles of Narnia, you’d get The Hippo at the End of the Hall. Magic abounds in this adventure, in a way that would be absolutely entrancing to kids. This is also a highly illustrated book, and the beautiful sketches help bring the characters to life.

Read this book if you like:

Adventures, magic, long-lost families, stories of destiny

Book details:

Rival Magic

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Antonia is serving as an apprentice to Master Betrys, a super-talented wizard. While Antonia has read all of the spell books she can get her hands on, and flawlessly recites complex spells… the power of her spells doesn’t seem to match the power of her knowledge of spells. And then everything gets way worse when some scullery maid girl named Moppe turns out to be super powerful, and now Antonia is competing for Master Betrys’s attention. When Master Betrys and her apprentices are accused of treason, will Moppe and Antonia be able to get over their differences? They’ll have to go on a quest, face creatures they thought were just legends, and not get petrified while they’re at it. This was such a fun middle-grade book!

What I loved most:

I really love when children’s authors find a way to write in beautiful prose that’s accessible to young readers. Listen to this gorgeous excerpt:

“From this perch high on the mountainside, the scattered fishing boats were like children’s toys bobbing across the blue. Far away but ever-present, the sea filled my vision, wrapping half the horizon in turquoise and azure. I’d never seen my home like this. It made something catch in my throat. Awe. Or maybe thankfulness. It was so beautiful.”

(Rival Magic, Chapter 9)

COME ON. The imagery. The actual picture painted in your head. This is the kind of thing that really pulls a kid into a story – when you feel like you’re seeing what the characters are seeing. I’ve read a lot of adult authors who do this well, but it seems harder to execute successfully for children. Absolutely gorgeous.

Read this book if you like:

Friendship stories, celebrating unique strengths, celebrating differences, teamwork, magic, fantasy creatures, quests

Book details:

  • Author: Deva Fagan
  • Publisher: Atheneum
  • Date of Publication: April 2020
  • Age Recommendation: 4th – 6th grade
  • Look up Rival Magic on WorldCat to find it at library near you!