Fairies and the Quest for Never Land by Gail Carson Levine

In "Fairies and the Quest for Never Land" we get to revisit Never Land and our fairy friends that Levine has introduced to us in "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" and "Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand." This is also her most recent book.

In "Fairies" we meet Gwendolyn. She is the great-granddaughter of the original Wendy, and she longs to meet both Peter, and the fairies of Never Land. Her family has kept the original house in the family, and every so often Peter has come back to collect one of the girls in the family to come back and clean for and mother the Lost Boys. While the girls recognize that times are more progressive now, and the boys really could clean for themselves, they love the few visits they each get to the island, so they never complain.

Gwendolyn is different in that she is the only one who's ever shown such a fascination in the fairies of Never Land. She makes her mother tell the tales that have been handed down over and over, and focuses on the fairies. The illustrations in the book show she's also drawn pictures of them to put on her walls.

Her fascination is fueled when the "kiss" that Peter gave Wendy is handed down to her, and she begins to have dreams/visions of Neverland. The dreams/visions jump all over the place and often show different things, but she's able to piece together a lot about life on Neverland, and for the fairies in particular, from them. Because of this her ache for Peter to come and collect her grows stronger and stronger.

Then, one day, Peter finally comes, and all her dreams come true! She even gets to meet the fairies. Then she meets Mother Dove, receives a stern warning to "Beware," and has a dream/vision that show's her that the great dragon Kyto is being freed. She does everything she can to help the fairies first prepare and then fight, but sometimes in her great worry she forgets to "Beware" and causes more trouble than help. It's a sweet and heartwarming story, and I'll let you read it to find out how the final battle turns out!

Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Tucked away in a far, small, corner of Oz lies the land of Oogaboo. It's a very small valley, with few people, but they do have a Queen. In fact, Queen Ann gets it into her head that she is going to go conquer Ozma of Oz. It's a rather silly idea, but once she has it in her head there is no stopping her!

Our old friend the Shaggy Man is also traveling through Oz. His brother is in trouble, most likely held captive by the Nome King, and Shaggy is searching for him to see if he can free him. Ozma has given him the love magnet that usually rests over the gates leading into the Emerald City. With this he can change the minds of almost anyone so that they suddenly want to be his friend, instead of enemy. Wouldn't that be nice to have in real life?

Shaggy is accompanied on his journey by a girl named Betsy, who was shipwrecked. They, of course, gather other companions along their trip as well. People as strange and interesting as they are! Betsy, in her childhood innocence might remind you some of Dorothy, but she is a different girl and a character in her own right.

Before this book is over there will be battle, a trip to the other side of the world, and even dragons!

"Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" by Gail Carson Levine

"Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" is the first of two books by Gail Carson Levine that are sanctioned by Disney. Well, at least I only know of two books and I didn't see anything on-line about a third, it's always a possibility! I actually read the second book, "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Wand," first and you can see my review of it here.


 
In "Fairy Dust" you will see some characters that are very likely familiar, and many more that are brand new. It takes place in the beloved Never land, that place where children never grow old, and one of the fairies we get to watch is Tinkerbell herself! She's not the main character in this story though, no, that distinction goes to a fairy named Prilla.


 
Prilla is a brand new fairy. Fairies are born when children laugh their first laugh, and after baby Sarah laughs, Prilla finds herself in Neverland. Now traditionally when a new fairy arrives they immediately discover what their talent is. All fairies have a talent. Some with animals, some with baking bread, some with healing, and the list goes on and on. The only problem is that Prilla doesn't know her talent, and despite everyone's best efforts, can't seem to discover it!


 
Then tragedy strikes Neverland. The first hurricane in memory strikes the Island, hurting Mother Dove and damaging her egg. Mother's Dove magic, imbued in the Egg, is what makes Neverland what it is. As soon as the egg shatters people begin to grow older, and the land begins to change.


 
Fortunately there is hope. There is a dragon locked up in Neverland who's fire-breath should be able to restore the egg. In order to get him to cooperate they are going to need to bribe him, so three fairies are chosen to go get the items, and then try and get the dragon to restore the egg. Prilla is one of those fairies and all along the way she keeps wondering "maybe my talent is this..." Don't worry though my friends! By the end of the book you'll discover what her talent is!


 
This would be a great book to read chapter by chapter to your children at bed time. I enjoyed it as an adult, and it's full of beautiful imagery that your children will love.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum

In the last Oz book, "The Emerald City of Oz," Ozma was forced to cut the magical land of Oz off from the rest of the world. This, unfortunately, meant that the official historian of Oz could no longer get any stories about Oz! This made many children very sad, until one clever little child thought to ask why Dorothy couldn't send our favorite historian information via wireless telegraph? Well it was a brilliant idea, and with a little help from Ozma, it was soon worked out so that the children could continue to learn about the wonderful land of Oz!

"The Patchwork Girl of Oz" starts out with us meeting a boy named Ojo the Unlucky, and his Unc Nunkie. Ojo is unlucky because he's lost his parents, and he lives in a lonely part of the forest with only his Unc Nunkie, who hardly ever talks at all. One day their supply of food runs out, and they are forced to go off in search of new food.

Their search leads them to the house of the Crooked Magician, a man who is truly crooked in body, and maybe just a wee bit mentally as well. It was the Crooked Magician who made the Powder of Life that animated Jack Pumpkinhead and the Saw Horse. Making the Powder of Life was an extremely long process, 6 years long to be exact, and he was just now about to finish a second  batch. This time he was making it for the purpose of allowing his wife to animate a servant to help her around the house.

The magician's wife had sewn herself a servant out of a patchwork quilt that she had around the house. The girl was built quite well, with a riot of color that was rather unseemly for a Munchkin household, but that was good, because it would help her remember her place. She also added some brains from the jars her husband kept on the shelf, but only  enough for the Patchwork Girl to do as she wished. What she didn't know was that Ojo decided the Patchwork Girl deserved better brains than that and added quite a bit to the mix!

When the Patchwork Girl was brought to life a terrible accident happened knocking the Liquid of Petrification off the shelf and turning the magician's wife and Unc Nunkie into statues! Everyone was horrified by this, especially because the Powder of Life was spilled at the same time, so there was none left to save the new statues with! The only solutions were to wait the 6 years needed to make more, or to gather the mysterious ingredients needed for the spell to undo them. Not wanting to wait that long, Ojo sets off to find the ingredients, and the Patchwork Girl accompanies him. They have a wild adventure meeting lots of new residents of Oz!

Shine on Daizy Star by Cathy Cassidy

"Shine on Daizy Star" came across my reading list because I won it in a blog contest from one of my dear bloggy friends, Jessica, of Nayu's Reading Corner. It's a cute book with a bright color and great illustrations. I love the stars all over the cover of the book!

Daizy Star is age 10 3/4's and the book opens with her giving a pictorial introduction to the people in her life. We also learn that her Dad, who's always been pretty cool, has recently lost his mind! Or at least that's how it seems to Daizy and the rest of the family. He's taking a sabbatical from work and has decided to construct a boat that the family will then sail all over the world in. Nobody in the family really likes the idea, and Daizy is so upset by it she refuses to tell any one what's going on.

Have you ever told one little lie that grew and grew until it consumed your life? That's what happens to poor Daizy as she first tries to cover up her Dad's new obsession, and then finds herself trying to keep more and more lies straight, including the lie that she's learned to swim.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I'd heard of "The Phantom Tollbooth" before, but I really didn't know anything about the book. So when I saw another book (that I loved!) being compared to "The Phantom Tollbooth" I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. I'm glad I did.

Norton Juster creates a realm in which improbably things happen, and in many ways the style reminds me of L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Both authors draw on things that we see in the every day world, and turn them into fantastic lands and creatures. Despite their similarities, Juster definitely has his own style, and you'll enjoy the read!

"The Phantom Tollbooth" tells the story of a boy named Milo, who really had no purpose to his days. He would hurry through school, hurry to get home, get up to his room, and sit there with no direction. It wasn't that he had no toys, he just had no inspiration or desire to do anything. One day he hurries home from school (he doesn't know why he hurries, he just always does) and discovers a package in his room.

The package turns out to be a miniature toll booth. Milo thinks this is silly at first, but since he doesn't have anything else to do, he decides to drive through it in the miniature car he has. This sets him off on a journey that will completely change his out look on life!

Milo will meet many strange and fantastic people on his journey. Faintly Macabre, the not so wicked Which, Tock (who ticks), the people of the lands of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis, and even the sisters Rhyme and Reason. It's a fantastic read no matter what age you are!

On the Stairs by Julie Larios

Illustrated by Mary Hofstrand Cornish

"On the Stairs" is a cute children's book that you'll have fun reading to your children! It's a poem about two little mice, the stairs in their house, and how they have given each stair its own name. Some of the names and connections are pretty imaginative, and some might fit in with the stairs in your house!

The drawings in this book are carefree and fun. There are no harsh colors, and they each reflect that pages section of the poem with fun style. They really bring the story to life - although the poetry is clear enough that the pictures aren't really needed to bring it to life! 

Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine

Illustrated by David Christiana

"Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand," is a bit different from Gail Carson Levine's other works. It's still a fantastic story, and it still full of magic, but this particular story has been authorized by Disney, and has a character that we all know and love, Tinker Bell. We also see Peter Pan appear, and of course Neverland itself.

Our story starts because Rani, a fairy who was not blessed with wings at birth, had promised Soop, a mermaid, a fairy wand in exchange for a magical item that was needed to save a life. The only problem is that the fairies of Neverland are not wand fairies, and to fulfill her promise Rani would have to travel to the land of the Great Wandies to ask for a wand. This is something Mother Dove will not allow her to do.

Soop reacts in anger instead of understanding when Rani tries to explain that she is being prevented from fulfilling her promise. In fact she decides to curse Fairy Haven with a flood that will surely drown all the fairies, and her great wrath she will not listen to a word Rani has to say. Desperate, Rani hurries back to the Fairy Haven and reports her dreadful news.

Reluctantly Mother Dove is forced to allow an expedition to the Great Wandies, for there is no other way to save their home. She worries about her fairies though, she knows that wand madness is a dreadful thing, and she fears what it will do to the travelers. Tinker Bell is among those travelers, and all of them think they are above the wand madness that Mother Dove warns of.

Wand Madness is an insidious thing however. Think on it, if you had the power to change whatever you wanted, wouldn't you be tempted? The only problem is that our wishes can often have unforeseen consequences, as our fairies quickly learn. The pages of this book are filled with beautiful illustrations as we watch our fairies learn about wands, wand madness, and how to come together to save the land they love.

The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum

"The Emerald City of Oz" continues the Oz story, and is actually one of the books I remember reading before! I know one point (middle school age?) I decided to read the Oz books, but I didn't go about it systematically reading them in order like I am right now. I just pulled them off the shelf and read whatever I found. So, now, as I'm rereading the series from start to finish I'm finding some books that are brand new to me, and some that are revisits, from a new perspective.

Do you remember the Nome King? We first met him in "Ozma of Oz" when Dorothy found herself in the land of Ev, and ended up saving many lives and taking the Nome King's magic belt. Ozma now owns the Magic Belt, and both her and Dorothy have almost completely forgotten about the Nome King, but he has not forgotten them. The Magic Belt was the base of his power, and in his great anger, he wants it back.

Now Guph, one of the Nome Kings oldest Nomes, heads out on the behalf of the King to form alliances with some of their terrible neighbors in hopes of over taking Oz. The people he visits are terrible and strange, and each group separately agrees to help the Nomes, while secretly planning on betraying them in the end. Their evil, what else would you expect?

Meanwhile Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry are all traveling to Oz! Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were about to lose the farm, and instead of allowing them all to descend into abject poverty, Dorothy decides to appeal to her dear friend Ozma to allow them to move to Oz. Ozma is delighted to agree, and before they know what's happening, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry find themselves in the castle in Oz. It's quite the adjustment for these poor farmers, but they slowly begin to acclimate.

Ozma sends her friends off to explore Oz, and we get to meet many more strange creatures while they tour Oz. It seems the land of Oz is ever full of surprising new creatures and lands! As they explore the Nome King is drawing ever closer in his attack on Oz, but don't worry, Dorothy and her friends turn out to have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Odd and the Frost Giants

"Odd and the Frost Giants" is a fanciful children's tale set in a frozen Nordic setting. Odd is the name of the hero of the story, and while that might seem strange to you or I, in that place it was actually a lucky name to have, because it means "the tip of a blade."

Odd was, um, a bit strange though. His father had been killed in a sea raid, which was fairly normal, but these particular circumstances weren't. Not long after that, Odd crippled accidentally with an axe, forever solidifying his place as "different" among the villagers.

One lonely winter day Odd decides that he needs to get away from the cramped winter quarters and the arguments, and he goes off by himself in the woods. There he meets some interesting animals, that he soon discovers are not animals at all, but gods who have been trapped in animal form!

Next thing Odd knows he's off to talk with Frost Giants and on the adventure of his life! It's a fun and quick read, I completely enjoyed it, and I would love to share it with a child. It does get a little tense at times, but there's nothing super-dark in here like there is with some of Gaiman's other writings.

Have you Ever Done That? by Julie Larios

Pictures by Anne Hunter

"Have You Ever Done That?" is a delightful children's picture book full of fun and fantastic things that a child might do. The pictures are pastoral and the ideas are things that a child might do if they are fortunate to grow up away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets. Some of the ideas get a little fantastic, but I love her first suggestion that she also wraps up the book with, sleeping outside on a hot summer night!

Reading this book made me think of my own child hood and the hours spent out doors exploring different nooks and crannies. I was fortunate enough to grow up on a quarter acre of land, and there was plenty to foster the imagination! I remember digging forts in the dirt, running barefoot in the grass, hiding in the trees, and of course climbing everything that I could!

Spending time with my cousin gave me even more opportunities to explore the great out doors. Their land was wild, and perfect for creating fantasy lands. We'd swing on their tire swing, climb the cherry tree and spit the pits and her brothers, and race around on our bikes like little animals. I also loved their dogs, I never got to have a dog of my own, so I loved their dogs all the more!

Have you ever done that? Played wild and free in the trees? Given yourself over to childhood in utter abandon? Have you ever done that?

Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles by Rupert Kingfisher

"Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles" is a delightful children's books about a girl named Madeleine, her disgusting Uncle Lard, and of course the incomparable Madame Pamplemousse! Oh, and of course, how can we forget, incredible food!

Madeleine is actually quite the cook in her own right, but it's not something that many people know. Her parents send her off each summer to work for her "dear Uncle Lard" and are blind to how truly disgusting a man he is. The one time Madeleine cooks for Uncle Lard he become so instantly jealous of how good a cook she is that he instantly regulates her to dish washing duty forever in the hopes that no one else discovers her talent.

Of course Madeleine does occasionally get to do things other than wash dishes, such as run the errands that no one else wants to do. One day she gets sent out to purchase some pate, and accidentally stumbles across Madame Pamplemousses shop. The pate she brings back is like nothing that has ever been served in Uncle Lard's shop, and he is determined to discover the secret of Madame's cooking. He even ends up sending Madeleine to work for Madame Pamplemousse! Madeleine learns a lot during her time there, and you might be surprised when you discover what Madame's secret ingredients really are.

Wolf Queen by Tanith Lee

"Wolf Queen" continues the story of the "Claidi Journals." In the last journal we left Claidi as she had finally escaped and set off to find her fiance, Argul. This journal opens with her finding Argul's tribe, landing a short distance away, and attempting to contact her love. Only there is a gigantic problem! She soon learns that Argul and his people have been tricked into thinking that she had betrayed him and his love, and they want nothing to do with her! Claidi is heartbroken, but she still sets out to search for Argul.

As Claidi searches for Argul she comes across even more complications for her life, because she meets a woman who claims to be her long lost mother! Is this dark woman really her mother? Is this mean girl really her sister? Can these people really fly? And if so, how do they do it?

These mysteries, and more, will keep you turning pages until the very end of this book!

The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum

"The Road to Oz" is the 5th book in the beloved Oz series by L. Frank Baum. In this book Dorothy and Toto meet a new friend, the Shaggy Man, and she travels with him a short ways to give him directions. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) they find themselves in a maze of magical roads and obviously very far from Kansas!

Not knowing what else to do; Dorothy and her companions start out along a random road to see where it leads. Before long they discover that the road leads to Oz, and that Princess Ozma is having a birthday! Dorothy and her friends decide to follow the road until they reach Oz, because Dorothy would love to see her friend again, and they know that Ozma would be able to help them reach home again.

As they travel to Oz Dorothy, Toto, and the Shaggy Man pick up some more companions and travel through yet more strange lands. Baum's capacity for coming up with new concepts is astounding! We meet fox people, donkey people, and a man who makes music whenever he breaths. Dorothy also becomes friends with the daughter of the rainbow.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum

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Dorothy And the Wizard in Oz

"Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" was written after Baum received numerous letters requesting more stories with Dorothy, and wondering whatever happened to the Wizard. Baum had a soft spot for the precious children who read his books, so he had to answer their questions! In fact in his introduction Baum wrote, "To have pleased you, to have interested you, to have won your friendship, and perhaps your love, through my stories, is to my mind a great an achievement as to become President of the United States." Isn't that sweet?

In "Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz" Dorothy finds herself on another adventure when the earth opens up literally right in front of her! Because of a massive earth quake Dorothy, her kitten Eureka, Zeb the farm boy, and the cab horse Jim, all find themselves in a strange land in the center of the earth. Dorothy handles these developments fairly well, she's been on some incredible adventures after all, but it takes Zeb a little longer to adjust!

The first land that Dorothy and Zeb find themselves in is inhabited by vegetable people. They grow on plants and find themselves distrustful of the "meat people." The wizard soon shows up and it turns out that he was trapped beneath the earth as well. He joins their group and soon they find themselves having to run for their lives!

Baum creates a number of fascinating lands in this book. Each of them strange and incredible. Eventually Dorothy finds herself back in Oz and reunited with her old friends! It's fun book, great to read to your kids, or just when you want to revisit your childhood.

"Pongwiffy" by Kaye Umansky

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Pongwiffy

How can you NOT read a book that has written across the top of the cover "Who looks like a witch and smells like a ditch?" The answer is the title - "Pongwiffy!" (note, I couldn't find the cover that matched what I read when I did an image search) Pongwiffy is indeed a witch, and she does have a decided pong about her that makes most people want to run after the slightly wif. But don't worry, you'll fall in love with her anyway.

"Pongwiffy" is a fun children's book about a witch, her hamster familiar, and the hilarious situations they get into! There are several distinct stories broken up through out this book, so if your the type that likes to read to your children at bed time, this book is perfect for you!

I will say, though, I'm not really sure what values your children will learn from this book. It's great for some laughs though! And who doesn't need some laughter in their childhood?

Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary

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Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary (Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors (Awards))

Poems by Julie Larios, Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

I first came across the team of Larios and Paschkis in the book "Imaginary Menagerie," and I immediately knew I wanted to find more books by them! "Yellow Elephant" met all my hopes and dreams. Where "Imaginary Menagerie" was about fanciful creatures, this book focuses on real creatures, but each one is highlighted with a particular color.

My favorite, of course, is the purple puppy:

"PURPLE PUPPY

Purple ball for the puppy.

He's feeling pretty nippy.

Needs to run, maybe.

Chases purple birds

and furry squirrels -

he's zigging, they're zagging.

Puppy tail wags.

Now he drinks cool water

with his purple tongue

slurping."

This is a great book to read aloud with your children. The poems are simple and cute. You can use this book to teach them some of their animals, and to help them learn their colors as well! And, of course, to introduce them to fantastic and varied world of poetry.

One last interesting piece of information. I read the back cover of the book and discovered that this writing/illustrating team is based in Seattle, Washington. That's just 3 hours away from me! How fun is that?

Wolf Star by Tanith Lee

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Wolf Star: The Claidi Journals II (Lee, Tanith. Claidi Journals, Bk. 2.)

"Wolf Star" is the second book in the "Claidi Journals" by Tanith Lee. It continues, in journal format, the story of the young woman Claidi. Claidi grew up as a serving girl, but was given an opportunity to escape that life, and she spent the first book on a grand adventure traveling.

As this book starts Claidi is preparing for her wedding. Unfortunately the wedding never takes place because Claidi is kidnapped and taken away. First by balloon, and then across the sea by boat, until she reaches a cliff that turns out to be a palace. Claidi is left there by her captors, and she soon discovers that there are few people there at the cliff, but not much hope of leaving either.

The only other occupants of the cliff palace are some serving robots, a young girl who cries to water the plants, some mutated animals, and Prince Venn. Nobody seems to be able to tell her why she is there, and while Prince Venn does seem to know, communicating with him is like banging her head against the wall.

Eventually, though, Claidi does manage to make friends with Prince Venn, and the two of them try to figure out how to help her and more about why she's actually there. This involves a search through the palace, which is a much harder task than you might think, because the rooms like to randomly move about! It's a crazy adventure, but it's the first step in Claidi finding a way to go back to the man she loves.

Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures

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Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures

Poems by Julie Larios, Paintings by Julie Paschkis

"Imaginary Menagerie" is a wonderful book for any parent who wants to introduce their children to fantasy! There are fourteen different poems, each one dealing with different creature from myth, and each accompanied by a beautiful painting on the opposite page. This book is not only an interesting (and easy) read, but a feast for the eyes!

I also really appreciated that they have a couple pages at the end of the book that give you more details about each of the fantastic creatures in the book. So, depending on the age of the child, you can go into more detail or not as you wish. This would be a great book to read to your child, or to give them to read if their old enough!

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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Ozma of Oz

"Ozma of Oz" is the response to the cry of many young readers that Baum bring Dorothy back to the world of Oz. This time she reaches that magical land not by tornado, but by ship wreck, and she first spend a good deal of time in the kingdom of Ev.

The kingdom of Ev is languishing because the old King sold off his wife and children in exchange for a long life, and then threw himself into the sea in remorse. Now it's up to Dorothy, Ozma, and their host of friends to figure out how to free the missing Queen and the children.

Dorothy, with her sweet personality, makes several new friends in this book that you will fall in love with! There are a lot of little lessons to be learned a long the way as well, so if you are reading this to your kids, you'll have some fun ways to sneak in some teaching moments. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!