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The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, book 1) by Lloyd Alexander (1964)

12/20/2021

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By Piranha T. 

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper of the oracular pig Hen Wen--a duty which he feels should be noble and meaningful, but instead leads to nothing remotely interesting. He longs to leave his home at Caer Dallben and adventure out into the world, where he imagines a world where heroes like Prince Gwydion keep evil at bay, and peril is never distant. 

But when Hen Wen escapes, and Taran follows her, he quickly learns that his dreams of sword-wielding heroism are not quite as he thought. Not only that, but Hen Wen may be in mortal danger--for the Horned King, the latest champion of the nefarious Arawn, is also searching for her as he seeks to rule all of the land of Prydain. And only Hen Wen knows the secret to defeating him. 

Now Taran must find Hen Wen before the Horned King--all while avoiding the dark beings sent to find her first. He finds help, too, though: from the hero Gwydion, who is very different from how he imagined him; from Fflewddur Fflam, a bard with a penchant from embellishing the truth; and from Eilonwy, a strong-willed girl who knows a bit about magic. But will it be enough to find Hen Wen in time, and save Prydain? 

The Book of Three is one of my enduring fantasy favorites, and when I reread it this summer, I found it just as good as I remembered. Alexander's prose is engrossing, his characters well-defined. Eilonwy in particular I feel the need to bring attention to; although far from perfect, and less so in successive books, she is one of the few female characters in fantasy of this era who has an interesting personality and a life beyond the male characters, although they do invariably stereotype her into the habitual and tight gender roles of this world. The land of Prydain (based on Welsh mythology) is interesting as well; for those who enjoy the inspiration of Welsh mythology in books like Over Sea, Under Stone, this series is particularly recommended. I recommend The Book of Three (and the successive books in the five-volume Chronicles of Prydain) to readers ages ten and up who enjoy high fantasy novels. 

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Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt (2017)

12/13/2021

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Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt - Rapunzel Reads
By Piranha T. 

Thirteen-year-old Nicki Demere has spent the past five years in and out of foster families. The last thing she expects when two US marshals show up is for them to offer her a family and a home. 

But that's exactly what they do. Nicki is one of a dozen kids to be assigned to families on the run from criminals--families who can fly under the radar much more easily with an extra son or daughter to throw off suspicion. She gets a new name, a new history, a new family--and then her job is simply to fit in. 

And Nicki, as Charlotte Trevor, succeeds... mostly. She gets average grades, makes friends (but not too many), and joins her school's mediocre basketball team. But just as Charlotte Trevor can't quite outgrow Nicki Demere, her new family is struggling to escape their own, much darker, past. And when some of the country's most infamous criminals pick up their trail, it's up to Nicki to preserve her new life--and save the closest thing to a family she's ever known. 

Greetings from Witness Protection! is a quirky, relatable tale of family and friendship told through the eyes of a resilient and funny heroine. The unique premise of this book caught my attention and Jake Burt carried it well; I loved watching Nick/Charlotte tackle the challenges that were thrown at her. I also liked the supporting characters, who felt very real, from Nicki's annoying 'younger brother' to the kids she meets at her new school. I recommend Greetings from Witness Protection! to readers ages nine and up. 

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Author Interview: Graci Kim

12/6/2021

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Graci Kim is the author of The Last Fallen Star, an instant New York Times bestseller and the first book in the Gifted Clans trilogy. The sequel, The Last Fallen Moon, will come out this June. We loved her first novel for its awesome protagonist, constantly surprising plot, and vivid world--we can't wait for book two! We were thrilled to get the chance to interview Graci Kim for this month's feature. 


Rapunzel Reads: Who is your favorite character in The Last Fallen Star, and why?

Graci Kim: My favorite character has got to be Emmett Harrison. I love him because he claims to be allergic to emotions and pretends to be all snarky, but really deep down, he's this baking-obsessed, uber loyal dude who loves dressing dogs up in funny costumes. I wish I could meet him in real life! 


RR: Hattie and Riley's relationship feels extraordinarily real, and is one of the strongest I've come across in fantasy novels. What inspired it?

GK: I have two younger sisters and they were my inspirations for the sisterhood between Hattie and Riley. They are four years and five years younger than me, and I love them with 
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Author photo credit: Joyce Kim

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    Book Reviews By & For Kids

    Everyone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We’d like to think she read plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our own favorites.

    Founded in 2014, our reviews focus on great books for middle grade (MG) readers. Beginning in 2018, we began adding selected Young Adult (YA) books as well, but only if we really love them and think Rapunzel Reads followers will too. Favorite picture books have their own page.


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    ​Looking for more YA recommendations? Until 2022, we had a separate For Older Readers page, where we highlighted over two dozen awesome YA books. Check it out here! 


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