Who is the Folk Keeper really . . .

Summary

Only a boy can be a Folk Keeper. Through cunning and devious behavior Corinna Stonewall changes her name to Corin in order to train and gain the position of Folk Keeper of Rhysbridge Home.  Keeping the Folk at bay requires various charms and in depth knowledge of the Folk and their malicious ways. Corinna prides herself at what she does, but worries about growing up and losing the ruse.  Mysteriously her hair grows two inches every night. She also has the ability to tell time. A dying man visits her and hires her to be the Folk Keeper at his estate called Marblehaugh Park. Excited by this new endeavor Corinna finds more than she bargained for at the now deceased man’s estate. Surrounded by the sea Corinna develops an interesting craving for fish, befriends the deceased man’s son, and learns of the hidden secrets of Marblehaugh Park. In grappling with the mysterious of Marblehaugh Park Corinna begins to open up to her true identity and link to the sea. Understanding what she is she must now make the decision to stay the Folk Keeper or relinquish her role in order to embrace the sea.

Review

This coming-of-age tale looks into one girls struggle for self-identity. Borrowing from the selkie myth this novel highlights Corinna’s self-denial and self-discovery by figuratively and literally shedding her skin. The Folk Keeper is a dark tale that includes murder, secrets, magic, and love. Corinna’s acknowledgement of her true self is a gripping climax that keeps readers going to the revealing end.

Grades: 4-8

Billingsley, F. (1999). The Folk Keeper. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

ISBN: 0-689-82876-4

Cover art link: Capitol Choices

Steal this fantasy!

Before Prospero and Bo’s mother died she told them stories about her favorite city, Venice, Italy. With images of golden chariots, homes built on stilts that rise above water, and masked revelers, the brothers- Prospero, 12, and Bo, 5- run away from Germany to the majestic city on the lagoon in order to avoid being separated by their aunt and uncle. They find refuge with a group of young thieves, who is led by the mysterious Thief Lord. When an equally mysterious Count comes to the Thief Lord with a peculiar request, he and his thieves jump at the chance to pull off their biggest robbery yet, and their reward promises them financial freedom forever. Somewhere in Venice there exists an old carousel whose secret can unlock either a fountain of youth for the ageing, or a portal to adulthood for the young and willing, and the Count only wants the missing wing that resides in the home of a successful photographer. However, the heist doesn’t go as smooth as the group originally planned, and in the process the young thieves’ sense of fragile security breaks away. As they become acquainted with the vary people from who they are trying to hide, true personas are revealed, solid friendships begin to crumble, and unlikely characters prove they can be both trustworthy and courageous.


Cornelia Funke’s “urban-fantasy,” The Thief Lord, is an adventuresome, enchanting, and suspenseful novel that explores friendship, loyalty, and independence. Funke’s descriptions of Venice with winged lions, grand palaces, mazes of canals, secret islands, and lagoon-meandering gondolas are as magical and imaginative as the carousel that completes the fantasy. In the midst of the action, readers will ponder what life could be like for a child who depends on his wits for survival, and for adults who have long since departed childhood. Any boy or girl who has ever dreamt of running away from unappreciative surroundings in search of a place where he or she belonged ought to read The Thief Lord. Grades 4-7.


Funke, Cornelia. (2002). The Thief Lord. Frome, Somerset, UK: The Chicken House.
ISBN: 0-439-42089-X
Cover art from kidsreads.com, http://www.kidsreads.com/guides/thief_lord2.asp

Travel to the North Pole with Lyra, her dæmon Pantalaimon, a talking polar bear, witches, and a wild hot air balloon ride!

Summary

The story begins in Oxford where 11 year-old Lyra and her dæmon Pantalaimon (a shape-shifting animal extension of Lyra’s soul) sneak into the Retiring Room at Jordan College to hide and snoop. Her mischievous behavior helps her save her intimidating uncle Lord Asriel’s life after she watches the Master pour poison into the ceremonial wine. Once she stops Lord Asriel from drinking it he quickly hides her in the wardrobe where she overhears him discuss the mysterious Dust with the scholars. Fascinated with Dust Lyra makes it her mission to find out what this mysterious substance is. However, some kids in her neighborhood are being kidnapped and when her best friend Roger is taken by the infamous Gobblers she intends to find them and rescue all the kids! Her attentions are temporarily diverted when she meets and later works for the stunning Mrs. Coulter.

Before she leaves with Mrs. Coulter the Master gives Lyra a mystical device called an alethiometer. Unsure on how to use it the Master simply tells her to learn it and keep it away from Mrs. Coulter. But Lyra’s journey doesn’t end there! After Mrs. Coulter shows her true colors Lyra does some investigating and runs away to the North Pole with the Gyptians who also want to rescue the missing children. En route Lyra meets Iorek a talking armored bear with great wisdom, who is hired by the Gyptians to aid them in their voyage. Close to their destination and traveling by hot air balloon Lyra and the rest meet with danger, excitement, and witches! Will Lyra succeed in saving the children, out run the deviously cunning Mrs. Coulter, find Lord Asriel, and discover what the mysterious Dust is? Pick up this book today to find out!

Review

The Golden Compass is the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Readers will attach themselves to the plucky heroine Lyra and her beloved Pantalaimon as they did with Harry Potter and his beloved Hedwig. Lyra is older beyond her mere 11 years and experiences extreme cases of danger and adventure. Lyra is an orphan who uses her wit and bravery to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding her. Though “tough as nails,” Lyra is also very compassionate and loving to all the good people and animals that aid her in her journey. Readers can easily sink into Lyra’s world of magic and mystery without feeling so far from home. And yet, there’s just enough distance to want to escape there on more than one occasion.

Grades: 6-12

Pullman, Philip. (1995). The Golden Compass. New York, NY: Knopf.

ISBN: 978-0-375-84722-6

Cover art link: Amazon.com

If you love the book here's a trailer to the film version, but be warned some say the book's much better . . .

Join Michael and Mina as they discover a mysterious creature in a dilapidated old garage.

Do you know of a basement, attic or garage that’s a bit spooky? Perhaps its dark, smelly and mysterious? Even though it is spooky, do you find yourself mysteriously drawn to it? Michael has this experience when his family moves across town into a new fixer-upper. While the adults in his life are distracted with his baby sister’s flailing health and home remodeling projects, he discovers a mysterious creature in his garage. He is unsure who or what the creature is. “I found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon….I though he was dead. I couldn’t have been more wrong.” (p. 1). Michael meets Mina, an exceptionally gifted girl who is home schooled. Together, they begin to interact with Skellig and unravel the mystery of his identity. Who or what is Skellig?

The mystery of Skellig is intertwined with the story of Michael coping with his baby sister’s health issues and his coming of age. The title has an underlying theme of evolution and the struggle for survival. The concept of angels is presented from an evolutionary rather than religious viewpoint. This page-turner is written in short, easy to read chapters, making it accessible to reluctant readers, especially those ready for mature content. At the same time, new vocabulary words are introduced to even the most advance readers. The biggest potential obstacle to generate interest in the title is the uninspired cover art and meaningless title. Once the book is opened, the intense plot and rapid pace entice the reader to keep reading. This title would be well-paired with an instructional session on evolution or dinosaurs. After reading this book, tweens will be interested to view Archaepteryx fossils, “The dinosaur that flew” (p. 98). Grades 5-8

Almond, David. (1998). Skellig. New York:  Delacorte Press.
ISBN: 038532653X
Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.