Skip to main content

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
by Karen Foxlee

Hardcover, 240 pages
Published January 28th 2014 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard is the last person you would expect to be the chosen one. The One Other who will save the world from the icy grip of the Snow Queen. Knock-kneed Ophelia's glasses are always smudged, her pockets have holes in them and she constantly needs her puffer when she gets too excited. She is a proud member of The Children's Science Society of Greater London who thrives on making lists and explaining everything with logic and reason. She has no patience for things of magic and fantasy. Ophelia's emotions and beliefs are put to the test when her father accepts a job at a museum in a strange city full of snow and ice. As her father works and her older sister grows distant, Ophelia is left to explore the complex and mysterious galleries of odd collections. She discovers a boy who is locked in a small room behind a fantastic mural. He tells her the most ridiculous tale full of crazy wizards, bizarre creatures, and an evil snow queen. As she tries to cope with her falling apart family she is thrust into a quest that is beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Ophelia is a realistic strong-girl character that is sure to engage many readers in her adventure. This is a fun spin on the classic Snow Queen fairytale.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Ruthie Rose's Big Idea

  Ruthie Rose's Big Idea Written by John Schu Illustrated by Holly Hatam Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. Picture Book. Some books just reach out and touch your heart and heal your soul. This is one of those books for me! Ruthie Rose wakes up one day with a beautiful idea. Because the idea is so big, she knows she will need a lot of help from people at her school. Fortunately, there are many faculty members and students ready and willing to help Rose with her idea. This story, and the accompanying artwork feel so joyful, hopeful, and inspiring. The artwork is completely captivating. I can picture so many kids and grown-ups reading this book and feeling a spark of creativity enter into their minds. I think it could give kids the courage they need to plan and implement their own "big ideas."  I loved that no one saw Ruthie's ideas as too big, too hard, or too much. They shared her vision, and each of them individually did their part to contribute in helping it co...

Books That Take You There: Under the Sea

The ocean is a mesmerizing realm, teeming with an astonishing diversity of life. It contains microscopic bacteria and algae to towering kelp forests and countless marine creatures. Beyond its beauty, the ocean is vital to life on Earth. It supplies oxygen, sustains food chains, and plays a crucial role in climate regulation. Dive into these six captivating books that will transport you beneath the waves and unveil the wonders of the deep. The Sea Knows  Written by Alice B. McGinty and Alan B. Havis  Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book.  The Sea Knows  is a lyrical picture book that explores the vastness and wonder of the ocean. Through rhythmic, poetic text, the book contrasts the sea’s many characteristics. It can be both fierce and calm, shallow and deep, full of tiny creatures and enormous whales. This captivating book encourages curiosity about the natural world and highlights the ever-...