Forest of Wonders

Forest of Wonders
(Wing & Claw #1)
By Linda Sue Park
Illustrations by James Madsen
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016. Fiction. 330 p.

In this new series by Linda Sue Park (Newbery Medalist for A Single Shard) Raffa has a knack for making poultices and infusions taught to him by his apothecary parents. When Raffa makes a cure for an injured bat with a rare vine found in the Forest of Wonders, he not only cures the bat but also gives the bat special abilities—the bat is able to talk to Raffa. When necessity takes Raffa to the big city to find his cousin, Raffa realizes that what he has done has far-reaching consequences.

This is a good book for those young readers who like animal/adventure books. Raffa’s friendship with Echo the bat is quite sweet. However, the fact that there is something darker and grander than Raffa understands (just what exactly is happening in the city?) throws in more suspense and adventure and questions about who to trust and whatever to do. There are a lot of hints to how each choice has consequences and being kind to animals and others. So those that are turned off by any mention of these moral decisions might not enjoy everything; however, those that understand the naivety of Raffa will be able to see past these indications and chalk them up to foreshadowing.

Comments

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013. 336 pgs. Fantasy Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life. He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines. Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...

Review: Growing Home

Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship. This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog