A dream is a wish your heart makes

Initially Frances is Sebastian’s employee, designing his fetching fashions. Soon she becomes his co-conspirator, helping to hide his secret. Gradually a compatible relationship begins to blossom. There comes a point when the dressmaker realizes that she wants more for herself. She wants the opportunity to expand her skills and explore her own passions. This is the moment when Sebastian must decide. Will he protect his image at the expense of Frances’ opportunities for artistic expression and professional recognition? The consequences of his choice weigh heavily on him. His decision will significantly affect the future of each. However, this is a fairy tale and readers are rewarded with a “happily ever after.” The prince realizes that the only way to true happiness is to consider Frances' dreams as well as his own. I love this image: two young dreamers, sitting beside one another as equals. Now that's a happily every after!

Can we talk about the gowns for a moment? They are fantastic! Frances, AKA  Jen Wang has a style that is fresh and exciting. The clothing serves to complement the wearer, not overwhelm or overpower. From the first glance, readers notice the full effect of each ensemble paired together with the unique personality of the individual. This is how clothing is meant to be. Jen gets it right. Brilliant costume design.

I finished reading the fairytale romance with a satisfied sigh and turned what I assumed was the final page. Not so. Wang gives the readers a glimpse into her process. The bonus material is instructive and inspirational. She describes in detail the tools that she uses. A step-by -step guide chronicles her approach as well as offering a glimpse into her decision-making thinking. This peek into the method used to spin the story’s magic is a superlative bonus. Thanks Jen for this most excellent back matter.

Journey Across the Hidden Islands is an adventure full of interesting twists. I enjoyed the witty exchanges between the siblings. They reestablish their relationship, building on their connection from childhood while recognizing the realities of their evolving roles within the kingdom.  

Durst weaves a tale of two girls who discover what it means to be a hero: "we have to be our own heroes now." ​This story of a story celebrates siblings who face the unknown and together succeed.  Young readers will be enchanted. 

Take a look at  three picture books. Each is a little gem filled with creative storytelling, endearing characters, and inventive design. Deborah Marcero is the author of two and the illustrator for all three. And here’s the amazing thing: all have been published within the past eighteen months. That's one prolific artist! Let’s take a peek inside these enticing covers.

Valente employs the use of invented over-the-top verbiage in Crashey’s pompous speech which echoes the oft-quoted lines from The Jabberwocky. ​Who knows, perhaps someday bindles will join brillig in the lexicon of nonsense words

Valente has created a magical world, filled with extraordinary characters and amazing adventures. Those familiar with history will discover Napoleon Bonaparte, The Duke of Wellington, and even Queen Victoria popping up throughout the narrative. There are numerous nods to literature including Alice in Wonderland, Lord Byron, characters from Brontë novels, and the medal-award scene from Baum's Wizard of Oz.  However, it is not necessary to be familiar with these references to enjoy this fantasy. 
At its heart, this is the story of four children who travel to a land of their imagining, seeking to escape the pain they experience following the deaths of their mother and two older sisters.  A tribute to imagination and the power of stories.

Whenever life was unpleasant, the Brontë children played The Game of And.  One of the older sisters would begin with an extraordinary tale and conclude with the word "and."  In turn, each would continue the story and signal it was the next sibling's turn with the word "and."  Read this sample from The Glass Town Game.  Then try creating The Game of And with a group of friends.

During her underwater travels Corinne encounters a vessel on the ocean floor. She makes a horrifying discovery when she uncovers what she assumes to be a rock. Instead Corinne has discovered chains that once enslaved the mermaids, her underwater companions. Their bodies still bear the marks left by these cruel iron bands. Recent reading of Shackles from the Deep brought these scenes to my mind with a fierce intensity. The reality of enslaved people trapped within a sinking ship is indelibly seared into my consciousness.

Baptiste's book is also a testament to the power of friendship and affirms the enduring bonds which connect family members. "All families are connected, Corinne. It's true. We don't get to choose who we share blood with. But we do get to choose how we are with each other."

Read this book for the flavorful Caribbean setting. Read it for the fantastic mythology. Read it to meet one very brave girl. Read it if you like the thrill of a good scare. Read it to discover more about a shameful past hidden in the depths of the sea.  That's a tall order for one middle grade book, but Baptiste delivers on all counts.
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Her friends Liesel, Ferdie, Nate and his wolf named Smoke arm themselves with musical instruments and join together in the search. "Keep your instruments with you. If anyone approaches, sound the alarm by playing three sharp notes. Music will be our secret signal." After locating a forbidden door, passing through The Library of Long-Forgotten Music, and venturing into the darkness, the young detectives discover a multitude of cats playing tiny orchestra instruments. They learn that The Wild Conductor has captured the city's cats and created a cat orchestra. Harper and her companions use the magic of the scarlet umbrella combined with the power of music to free the felines from the spell that holds them captive. Anderson's illustrations enhance the charming fairytale-like setting. Cats, music, mystery and magic combine to create lyrical storytelling. The story's conclusion hints that Harper will have further adventures. Yes please. ​

Accompany this story of a magical umbrella, rain showers, orchestra instruments, and a multitude of cats with three classic musical videos.

It was a sad day.  I was coming to the conclusion of The Raven King, the final volume in The Raven Cycle and the realization sunk in: the story of Gansy, Blue, Ronan, Adam, and Noah was coming to an end.
Finis.
My reading slowed down. I kept going back and rereading, postponing the inevitable day when I would have to read the final chapter, the final paragraph, the final sentence, the final word.
This series is magnificent. The prose is gorgeous.  The characters are so well delineated that they become "people you want to hang out with". The cycle is as sweeping and thrilling and achingly wondrous as I knew that it would be. 
Maggie Stiefvater's vividly painted palette of words continues to haunt me. Thank you Maggie, for creating The Raven Cycle.

Postscript: I am looking forward to the continuation of Ronan's story, with a new three volume series recently announced by Stievfater.

​Ready? Now prepare to take an astounding adventure.
​Step with me into the pages of The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.

Magic.
Barnhill creates magic.
"In Which a Story is Told" introduces readers to the storyteller, who spins a tale to a fretful child. "Of course this is a true story. Haven't you been listening?"
It all begins when the witch rescues an infant, accidentally feeding her moonlight which enmagicks the baby. The child's growing powers of magic have a profound effect on the world.
The ensuing narrative consists of intricately interwoven threads following a witch, a bereft mother, a monster, a tiny dragon, a young man on a mission, the enigmatic leader of the Sisters of the Star, and a girl named Luna.
Each travels a path which eventually leads to the forest where their fortunes come together in a most dramatic way.

The voice, or rather distinctive voices throughout the narrative are captivating.
Consider these examples:
Xan, the witch
      "Sorrow is dangerous. Or, at least, it was. I can't remember why, now. I think we both became accustomed to not                  remembering things. We just let things get...foggy."
Glerk, the monster,
     "As the Poet says, 'Oh, ever changéd Earth -'"
Fyrian, a tiny dragon
     "I love foolish things. And clever things. I love all the things."
Antain, the nephew
     "What if we are wrong about the Witch?"
Sister Ignatia, of The Sisters of the Star
     "Oh, sweet Antain! There is no cure for sorrow."
Madwoman of the Tower
     She is here, in the heart of the robin.
     She is here, in the heart of the crane.
     She is here, she is here, she is here, in the hearts of a falcon and a kingfisher and a swan.

The prose shines with Barnhill's sparkling writing. Examples of her signature style include the use of a conversation tone "Moonlight is magic. Ask anyone you like", her clever turn-of-phrase "It was the first lie she ever told. Even though her words were true" and a concluding statement followed by a contradiction "They thought she was gone forever. They were wrong, of course."

Story construction brilliantly leads the reader through the multiple story lines and results in a conclusion which is at times surprising, always logical, and ultimately satisfying.
Readers will be enmagicked.

All of Barnhill's books. Read them all. Each is a treasure.

Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke