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The Ickabog

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The Ickabog
By: J. K. Rowling
New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2020. Fiction

In the land of Cornucopia, everything is perfect. The most delectable foods are available, incredible people live in the cities, and there is a kind and beloved King to rule it all. The only thing in the kingdom to even worry about the dreadful Ickabog that terrorizes the land just outside of the marsh, causing destruction in its wake. Fortunately, it is just a story to tell children to encourage their cooperation. Or is it? A series of unfortunate events leads two greedy "friends" of the king taking advantage of him for their own benefit. They spread fear of the Ickabog to support their gluttonous way of life until they are stuck in a web of lies. Although the kingdom is hesitant to believe the fairy tale at first, they soon break down in fear and ask themselves, "Could the stories be true? Does the Ickabog really exist?"

This story is a fun read for older children. It is a type of fairy tale with a moral to be learned about kindness and honesty by the end. Although there is violence and death, it is not graphic and supports the message without endorsing the behavior. The chapters are short and entertaining and read as if someone is narrating the story, making it a great read aloud and, overall, thoroughly enjoyable story. 

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