Book Reviews By & For Kids - Rapunzel Reads

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant, illustrated by Lydia Corry (2019)

6/21/2021

By Piranha T.

In a far-off land, an enchantress consults her magic mirror about a complicated and difficult question: What makes a princess excellent? The enchantress has become godmother to a baby princess, and she wants to ensure the girl is as perfect as possible. But what characteristics might her godmother encourage in her? Should she be tidy? Beautiful? Kind to animals? Polite? These traits don’t seem like quite enough. At a loss, the enchantress casts her magic mirror into a journey across space and time to bring back tales of excellent princesses, and to tell her what qualities shine most brightly within them.

And the mirror does indeed find tales of princesses. It travels from great stone castles to modern-day skyscrapers, deserts to sea-surrounded islands, and the princesses it finds are more than just excellent. They navigate dangerous forests to find cures for their sisters, traverse nighttime deserts to warn their homelands of a coming threat, tame crocodiles and sail tumultuous seas. They are thoughtful, brave, resourceful, and kind. And perhaps among their stories, the enchantress will find the answer to the question the mirror set out for.

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror is a beautifully illustrated, magical book, at once a novel and a collection of short stories. The eight tales of princesses, set around the world, stand alone as stories, and yet are intertwined with the journey of the mirror between them, throughout the ages, leading from a far-off time of magic and kings to a modern-day city. The princesses are independent, interesting, and unique, ready to do what needs to be done without help from princes, and their stories connect perfectly with the main plotline and the enchantress. Additionally, Lydia Corry’s whimsical illustrations throughout the book add to the feel of the stories. I recommend Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror to fans of Girls to the Rescue, or anyone who loves fairy tales and strong female characters ages seven and up.

Girls to the Rescue: Tales of Clever, Courageous Girls from Around the World Edited by Bruce Lansky (1995)

9/16/2019

By Super Kitty

Tired of fairytales featuring heroines who spend most of their time waiting to be rescued? Girls to the Rescue is a collection of ten short stories starring smart, capable girls who use their wits and talents to overcome obstacles and save the day. Some of the stories are inspired by folktales and legends, while others are original, but all share a theme of promoting strong role models for girls of all ages.

I was about seven when I first discovered this book and its sequels, and have enjoyed them ever since—there are many girl-power remakes of classic stories, and the Girls to the Rescue series is definitely a top pick. The characters are smart, brave, and believable, refusing to let anything from stereotypes to their own fears get in the way of their success, and friendship, diversity, and self-confidence replace many traditional stories’ themes of romance and needing to be rescued. They’re also perfect books for reading aloud. Overall, Girls to the Rescue is an excellent choice for readers (girls and boys!) ages seven and up looking for strong characters and clever stories from around the world.

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead (2018)

8/5/2019

By Piranha T.

It’s been five years since ten-year-old Livy visited her grandma in Australia, so she doesn’t remember much. Sliding down the stairs. Watching the chickens. And when she sees her bedroom, she realizes she left something extremely important there—only she can’t remember what.

Then she meets Bob, a short green creature who can’t recall anything about himself. He’s been waiting for her in her closet since she left five years ago. Although Livy no longer remembers, she promised him that she’d help him find his way home. And now that they’ve met again, they’re determined to do just that.

Told in alternating chapters between Livy and Bob, Bob is a story about friendship with the feel of a modern fairytale. Livy and Bob, and their friendship, feels very real. This is a book with elements of both fantasy and realistic fiction, so I think it could be enjoyed by fans of either genre. I recommend Bob to readers ages seven and up.

Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective (Encyclopedia Brown, Book 1) By Donald J. Sobol (1963)

7/12/2019

By Super Kitty

Ten-year-old Leroy Brown, nicknamed “Encyclopedia” because of his incredible memory, is known throughout town for his amazing gift at solving puzzles. With the help of his friend Sally Kimball, he runs a business solving mysteries for neighborhood kids (25 cents per day, plus expenses). And his father, the local police chief, always knows what to do if he’s stumped on a case—go home to dinner and tell Encyclopedia all about it. In ten solve-it-yourself-style short stories, Encyclopedia and Sally discover clues, track down crooks, and take on everything from local shoplifting to a missing diamond necklace.

I started reading the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was in second grade, and I still find them utterly brilliant. They’re all but impossible to grow out of, and in fact older readers (from middle-schoolers to adults) with more general knowledge might enjoy them more than younger ones—often all that you need to solve a case is a bit of random knowledge and a skill for noticing details! Encyclopedia and Sally are great protagonists, and various quirky supporting characters keep the mysteries constantly entertaining. Whether he’s outwitting the neighborhood bully or helping his father unravel a perplexing new case, Encyclopedia’s adventures are perfect reading material for mystery lovers ages seven and up. And if you enjoy reading about kid detectives, be sure to check out the Meg Mackintosh mysteries (another solve-it-yourself series) by Lucinda Landon, James Ponti’s T.O.A.S.T. series, and Linda Fairstein’s Devlin Quick Mysteries!

The Emperor’s Ostrich by Julie Berry (2017)

9/4/2018

By Super Kitty

The emperor of Camellion, it is said, is the worst ruler in the history of the land. He’s spoiled, selfish, and doesn’t have the faintest idea of how to lead an empire—nor does he have any intention of learning. To make matters worse, he is nearly of age to rule, and will gain full power in a few days’ time. He needs to be taught a lesson. And fast.

Begonia, a dairymaid from the country, doesn’t know anything about the shortcomings of her exalted ruler. She has enough to deal with without worrying about things like that—her cow has disappeared (again) and she has to find her as soon as possible. However, when two ancestor spirits decide to take matters with the emperor into their own hands, things start to get out of control, and Begonia seems to be the only one who can stop it. To save the empire and set things to rights, she sets off on a journey which will cross paths with a strange collection of characters, including a self-proclaimed Finder of Things That Are Lost, a peculiar—and incredibly rude—stranger, a stubborn cow, a suspicious circus owner, plotting lords, and an eight-foot ostrich. But even with her new friends to help her, is Begonia bold enough to face unnamed dangers to stop the injustices in her land? Or has she taken on much more than she bargained for?

I liked this book for a lot of reasons. It was amusing, captivating, and most of all fun. A cast of quirky characters and usurping villains, not to mention a very determined ostrich, brought the story to life, and various escapes and twists kept it entertaining and original. I would highly recommend it for ages seven and up, or for any readers looking for a light but satisfying new read.

A big thank you to Julie Berry, for sending us a review copy of her book!

Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle by Natasha Lowe (2018)

3/10/2018

By Piranha T.

Nine-year-old Lucy Castor loves her life just the way it is. Her father reading her The Hobbit at night, her mother making spaghetti every Monday, but most of all, playing with her best friend, Ella, making magic in the tiny moments of everyday life. She certainly doesn’t expect anything different as fourth grade draws near.

Yet everything seems to be changing all at once—and not for the better, either.

Ella has stopped believing in magic and found some new, more stylish friends. Lucy’s weird neighbor, Chloe, might not be so weird after all. Biggest of all, her perfect world with her father, her mother, and Lucy herself is about to end, because Mrs. Castor is going to have a baby.

Lucy Castor Finds Her Sparkle is a beautiful story. I could easily identify with Lucy, and everything about the book made me fall I love with it. It reminded me almost of The Girl in the Tower. I would highly recommend Lucy Castor Finds her Sparkle to kids and adults ages seven and up.

Eva of the Farm - by Dia Calhoun (2012)

8/31/2017

By Radical Reader, 10, MA
Guest Contributor

This book is about a girl who likes to write poetry. Unfortunately her family is poor, and is having trouble paying off the mortgage on the house. Things only get worse when her baby brother Achilles gets sick. She helps her family by selling her poems at the farmers market. Soon the whole world knows about Eva Dehart.

I liked this book because it was such a sweet story. It's so richly defined I actually feel like I'm in the book. I'd recommend this book to children ages 7 and up because it gets a little emotionally intense.

The Girl in the Tower by Lisa Schroeder (2016)

3/22/2017

By Piranha T.

The Girl in the Tower begins with the evil witch Bogdona having enchanted the entire kingdom to think she is their queen. But she still is not content, and will never be happy until she possesses great beauty. So Bogdana begins to collect the two rare ingredients for the only known spell: a hummingbird’s feather and a dark hair from a girl with lavender eyes between the age of 11 and 12. To this end, she traps Violet—a young baby with lavender eyes and dark hair—and Violet’s mother in a tower so that, when Violet comes of age, the false queen can become beautiful.

Almost eleven years later Violet is still trapped in the tower, going outside only into a hidden garden, where she and the hummingbirds the witch has also gathered for the spell become great friends. But then Bogdana takes Violet to the castle to become a princess, at the same time banishing Violet’s mother, and Violet is left in new territory with no friends. However, with the help of a young servant named Harry, she discovers Bogdana is an evil witch—a fact that Bogdana has kept a secret from everyone—and that Violet herself must defeat the witch so the kingdom can go to its rightful rulers and beauty will never belong to the false queen.

I liked The Girl in the Tower because it was a sweet story with likable characters and adventure. Violet was a great main character, being quite brave and kind. It also had a nice happy ending, which I always enjoy. I recommend The Girl in the Tower to readers ages seven and up, because although evil, Bogdana was not very terrifying.

Chomp By Carl Hiaasen (2012)

3/8/2017

By Radical Reader
Guest Contributor

This book is about an animal wrangler named Mickey Cray and his son, Wahoo. They are hired to work on a TV show. But Mickey doesn't get along with the star of the show. This causes problems they need to work out as the story goes on.

I liked this book because it had an amazing story. I'd recommend this book to ages 7 and up because there are some scary parts

Annie Pitts, Artichoke By Diane deGroat (1992)

3/6/2017

By Piranha T.

Annie Pitts dreams of being a famous actress, so when her class puts on a nutrition play, she decides she will be the star. But on a class trip to the grocery store, Annie launches a dead fish at her arch-nemesis and classmate, Matthew, and because of this she gets the least appetizing role in the whole play—the artichoke. Despite this, she still hopes to make a marvelous debut—and when the play does come around, people pay more attention to her then she would have hoped—or imagined.

I discovered Annie Pitts, Artichoke while doing advance research for a recent (and great!) interview with author & illustrator Diane deGroat. Previously, I had been familiar with her writing from her picture books about Gilbert the opossum (when I was younger!) Annie Pitts, Artichoke was for slightly younger readers than we typically are reviewing on this blog at present, but I still found it – and deGroat’s two subsequent books about Annie – quite amusing. (Other titles in the series are Annie Pitts, Swamp Monster and Annie Pitts, Burger Kid.) I recommend Annie Pitts, Artichoke to readers aged 7-9.

The Search for Delicious - by Natalie Babbitt (1969)

2/1/2017

By Piranha T.

The Prime Minister DeCree is writing a dictionary, but when he gets to the definition of ‘Delicious,’ there is an argument. The Prime Minister says it should be fried fish, but the Queen thinks the real definition of delicious is Christmas pudding, and the King has decided on apples. Finally, the Prime Minister sends his young assistant, Gaylen, to go to all the towns in the kingdom and record each person’s choice for the most delicious thing they can think of. But the Queen’s troublesome brother, Hemlock, is riding ahead of Gaylen to turn everyone against the king, and soon it looks as though the dictionary may cause more trouble than it’s worth.

I liked this book because there were some amusing parts and it was a great story with adventure, but also a nice happy ending. I would highly recommend The Search for Delicious to readers ages 7 and up.

The Pepins and their Problems by Polly Horvath (2004)

1/15/2016

by Piranha T.

The Pepins are a family with bad luck. There is Mr. Pepins, Mrs. Pepins, Petunia Pepins, and Irving Pepins - plus their dog, cat, and goat. And they have Very Bad Luck. Every family has bad luck, but the Pepins are ridiculous.

One morning they find toads in their shoes, and another they get stuck on the roof! Whatever their problem is, it is always hilarious (at least for the reader!)

I liked this book because it was so very funny, and because of the silliness of the different problems they encountered. I highly recommend it to readers.

Note from the Editor: Polly Horvath is one of our favorite authors, who has the ability to use humor so cleverly that it appeals to the whole family. Dubious? Check out her duo of Mr. & Mrs. Bunny books on audio (see our "audiobooks" page for details) and listen to the author read them herself to great comic effect! (Naturally they are great as reading books, too... your choice.) Horvath's skill encompasses more dramatic story lines as well, where she uses humor more sparingly but still effectively while dealing with heavier matters. Keep your eye out for more reviews of her work - or, better yet, read one and send us your review!

Key to the Treasure byPeggy Parish (1966)

1/12/2016

By Piranha T.

When Jed, Bill and Liz Roberts go to their grandparents house as usual for the summer, they never expect anything to be different...but it is.

The story of an old and mysterious picture - one showing an ancient Indian bonnet, Indian pot, a key and a question mark - is re-told, and the three children discover a clue to its mystery. Soon the three are on a treasure hunt - but will they find the treasure, or will they fail?

I like this book because each clue is a puzzle, and you can (mostly) discover the answers on your own if you try. Also, I like the characters. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

Frogged - by Vivian Vande Velde (2013)

11/16/2015

- by Piranha T.

Frogged is a very silly book (even the chapter names are silly!). It's about a princess who, one day by a stream, meets a frog who insists he is a prince put under a spell (yes, he can talk). So the princess kisses him - and suddenly, he's a person, but she's a frog! Worse still, he wasn't even a prince at all!

Princess Imogene (yes, that's her name) decides to look for a person to kiss her in turn, but instead gets carried off by a boy and girl who have plans of their own. Princess Imogene must find a way to get un-frogged. But how?

I really liked Frogged. It was a wonderful, funny book, and I recommend it to readers.

Ms. Rapscott's Girls - by Elise Primavera (2015)

9/22/2015

by Piranha T.

Ms. Rapscott is the headmistress of Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents - and soon enough, five boxes come and land in front of her in the lighthouse that serves as her school. She opens them all up and finds four students: Beatrice, Fay, Mildred and Annabelle. But where is the fifth student? Her parents were too busy to properly close the box, and she fell out! The four girls, along with Ms. Rapscott, look for Dalia while learning other things that their parents were too busy to each them - like how to cross the street without getting squashed. As they learn and search, they find clues. But will they find her?

I like Ms Rapscott's Girls because it is silly and adventurous. I also like the characters, and altogether it is wonderful. I highly recommend Ms Rapscott's Girls to readers.

Note: Elise Primavera published a sequel, called "Making Mistakes on Purpose," which we also enjoyed greatly! -July 4, 2017

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.

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