The Dolltender’s Adventure (The Dolltender Series)

Written and illustrated by Nancy Hill

This is latest book in the Dolltender series of books that are written and photographed by Nancy Hill. I read the kindle version which features beautiful photographs of Victorian dolls from antique shops in Oregon and Washington. They are beautifully done; my only regret is that the photographs are not larger.

The story includes many elements that appeal to children. Our protagonist is an adorable young girl named Natalie who has been living in an antique shop with an old man and woman since her parents disappeared into a mirror. Right, here comes the element of fantasy. Natalie does all the chores in the shop and takes care of the dolls. She seldom has the opportunity to go outside and never plays with children her own age. Her world consists of her interaction with the dolls. Natalie pleads with her caretakers to take the dolls outside the shop. They have been cooped up there for years. The dolls tell her they wish to see the butterflies, sunbathe or hear the birds sing. Natalie almost gives up hope of ever bringing them outside when, one day, the old couple are invited to a lavish party at a nearby town. Natalie convinces them that she should stay home and watch the shop. Then she hatches a plot to take the dolls outside. She comes up with a plan for the dolls to draw cards to see who will go first and then take turns riding in her doll carriage.

The wise Sage doll makes a request. He asks that Natalie bring him the most beautiful leaves. If she is successful, she will be granted whatever wish she desires. Natalie promises that she will do so and embarks on her adventure of making three trips outside. As she completes them, she worries that she will not be able to return on time and keep her promise. She has many adventures with her doll friends, but as nightfall arrives, she becomes lost and disoriented. How will she ever keep her promise and return the dolls safely without her owners discovering her secret? Will she satisfy the request made by the Sage?

The author combines personification, fantasy and realism into a fairly coherent tale. As a reader, you want to see Natalie succeed; solve the mystery of her parents’ disappearance, grow into a happy child, and become a heroine to her unusual collection of antique doll companions. This short story that is just under one hundred pages moves along quickly encouraging the reader to finish it in one sitting. Just the kind of book for readers age eight and up to curl up with on a rainy afternoon.

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Mason and Bess: The Adventure Continues Book 2

Written by Diane Major

This short fantasy story that is appropriate for tweens, teens and adults involves a boy named Mason who lives with his best friend, Bess, and his mother, Queen Anna, in a land called Sanctea. They once lived in a small town on the planet earth;  but Anna, who has the ability to pass from one dimension to another, decided to leave the earth.

The Queen awakens from a dream in which she sees their former neighbor’s daughter named Katie sucked into a vortex. Hoping that the child has been transported to her own homeland, the Queen sends her special messengers, the Elgae, to search for her. Unfortunately, she is not found. Anna suspects Katie is the victim of foul play. Anna cannot leave her world without weakening her powers so she sends her son and Bess to find Katie and return her safely to earth. Mason will take the magic wand his father left them. Bess is given a special black medallion that will transport them between worlds.

Anna casts a spell to transport the children back to their old home on earth, but Bess finds, to her chagrin, that she is no longer a young girl but a black and white cocker spaniel! The two children locate the pool where Katie went swimming, and when they sneak in at night find themselves sucked into that very same vortex. They arrive in a magical land called Nomreg where there are feathered green trees, lollipop flowers, floating TV screens in the sky, and beautiful rainbows. Appearances are deceiving; the children find themselves in a war between the Fairies and the Bugzies. They will each face many dangers and adventures in their quest to find Katie. Will the power of the magic wand be enough to ward off their enemies? Are they successful in locating and returning Katie to earth and ultimately traveling back to their own world of Sanctea?

There are lots of twists and turns in the plot and some surprises along the way. Even though the story is short, the main characters are believable and well developed. I am looking forward to meeting them again in further adventures.

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The Magical World Of Sebella (The Magic Castle)

Written by Thea Berg

This book is the author’s first short novel. The plot moves along quickly with well developed characters and lots of twists and turns. Vocabulary in the book is not too difficult allowing most beginning chapter readers to access it without too much difficulty. The author provides a comprehensive list of questions which may be used as a guide to developing a discussion and comprehension of the tale. Sebella is a nine year old witch who is part of a “unique” family living in Skullvilla. On this particular rainy day, she is bored so she begs her mother to allow her to see who has just moved across the street. Her mother does not want to go out and get her hair wet, but Sebella manages to use her powers to suddenly end the rain and clear things up quickly. The neighbor turns out to be the witch Eloise, a former friend of her mother.

Sebella, the new neighbor’s daughter, Kendall, Sebella’s cousin, Prudence, and Sebella’s, brother, Drac are now playing a board game in the living room. Suddenly, Prudence drops a gargoyle statue and its red laser eyes bore a deep crack in the fireplace wall. So the adventure begins! The children crawl into the tunnel which opens to a castle. Dimitrius, the Lord of the Castle, informs them they must get rid of the Shadows, slay the dragons and eliminate the Villainous Mentalist (who used to own Sebella’s house). Certainly a tall order! Though it seems an insurmountable task, the children are ready and willing to attempt it. Their journey forces them to explore many rooms of the castle. Turns out they receive some unexpected help along the way. Will they succeed in all three tasks and find a way to escape and find their way home? If they are successful, will their lives be changed forever?

A delightful and exciting read for tweens and teens and/or adults. Looking forward to reading more adventures from this new and talented author.

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History for Kids: An Illustrated Life of Harry Houdini

By Charles River Editions

Harry was born Ehrich Weisz in Budapest, Hungary in the year 1874. His father was a trained lawyer who moved to Wisconsin due to discrimination against Jews. Here he became a  rabbi moving from congregation to congregation to support his wife and six children.

At the age of nine, Ehrich was already putting on magic shows in his backyard, When he was twelve he tried his hand at magic by traveling west. He soon moved back to New York to join his father where he worked as a messenger and factory worker while training and developing his body into that of an athlete. He discovered the French magician Robert Houdin and added an I to his name. For a while Ehrich put on magic shows with his younger brother Theo. Ehrich became Harry Houdini. When he met Bess, he teamed up with her magic card act, and they worked to develop new magic show acts. Harry began developing his escape acts beginning with escaping from a steamer trunk and then handcuffs. The tricks became more and more elaborate. After visiting a mental hospital, Harry came up with the idea of escaping from a straitjacket. A man named Martin Beck discovered Harry and booked him for a European tour. At this time he learned the swallowing forty needles trick. All throughout Europe, Harry perfected his handcuff escape and straitjacket tricks and added a new trick which was to escape from a tank filled with water.

By the turn of the twentieth century, Harry and Bess were rich. He tried other pursuits like writing diaries and magic books. Then he became obsessed with “death-defying” stunts. He threw his manacled body over bridges and dove handcuffed into rivers. He even performed an escape from being buried alive stunt that almost killed him. Harry was no longer a young man. His kidneys were failing, but he refused to quit. Harry became a pilot; he developed an interest in the movies believing that they would replace stage shows one day. But one night after being punched in the stomach, he collapsed during a performance suffering from appendicitis. Harry ignored his pain and refused to cancel the performance. Houdini died on Halloween night in 1926 at the age of fifty two. His life could best be summed up in his dying words, “Dash, I am getting tired and I can’t fight it any more.”

This biography is replete with photographs and posters from the family and mentors as well as pictures of some of the more famous Houdini stunts. Children age seven and older will find his personal struggle, moral character and determination inspiring. The story moves along quickly and is well written. Boys and girls, and of course, magic lovers will find it an interesting read.

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MAGICINUS:THEPOWEROFIMAGINATION

Written and illustrated by: Natalie Tinti

This is the second book in the Sewing a Friendship series. The first book was written by Ms. Tinti when she was ten years old. In this new book, we again meet our young friends: Sokron Blossom, Nina Key, Jonsy Jipsey, Meeka Venya and Kiki Shaver. Grandma Babushka oversees matters; Dogon the dog is the faithful messenger secret agent, and The-Wind narrates as himself.

The Wind begins the story when he notices that Dogon is scurrying to Meeka’s house with a message tied around his neck. The letter reveals that Nina has a horrible scratch on her finger and cannot play her music. Meeka, the math nerd , tries to think up a way to make her feel better. Dogon dashes to Jonsy who finds a Happy Song as a present. Dogon finds Kiki next. She is trying on her outfit from her last fashion show.  Before meeting these girls, she did not care much about others. She ponders how she can help Nina. Finally, Dogon arrives at Sokron’s home where she is cutting out pictures of dresses from a fashion magazine. She rummages though her closet to find a gift. Dogon reports back to Grandma Babushka who has been hiding in a tree surveying the situation from afar.

The girls arrive at Nina’s home to surprise her. Nina has been in her room and has just found Bellkoo’s album of songs about friendship and never giving up. That reminds Nina of her own friends. At that moment, the doorbell rings. The four girls have never been in Nina’s house and are shocked to see how strict and tidy it appears. Notes everywhere say, “Don’t touch this!” They are relieved to find that Nina’s room is a mess. Each one of them has a special present for Nina., which represents each of their personalities.

The Wind watches as the second part of the book unfolds. Nina suggests that they tell stories and draw pictures on fabric to represent them. She begins by narrating a tale of friendship like their own. As each girl creatively adds to the imaginary story, they incorporate their personality and elements of their friendship. The stories are cleverly written and interwoven. Tinti  provides an appendix with a find the differences picture and then invites the readers to submit their own stories to her, which she will incorporate in a new book written for children by children.

The illustrations are done in manga style in vivid colors. These characters remind me of Precious Moments figures. Middle grade readers will find them delightful. They share similar issues, likes and dislikes with their readers. A delightful story and a worthwhile addition to a parent or classroom library. Adults will enjoy the creativity displayed in this book. Looking forward to seeing more from this young author and  reading that collection of stories from children around the world.

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