Throwback Thursday: Howl’s Moving Castle

For this Throwback Thursday I recommend: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl.

Most people will recognize as the title as the name of a movie from 2004 directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is one of the highest grossing anime movies and it is based on this novel by Diana Wynne Jones. The book, Howl’s Moving Castle, was published in 1986. This book has all the enjoyable quirky humor and events that you find in the movie. This was such a fun read! Recommended for fans of the movie, and fans of  fantasy novels.

This book can be found in Juvenile Fiction section at J JONES.

~aw

Phoebe and Her Unicorn

Looking for something fun to read?  Have you heard of Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson?

Phoebe uses her one wish to make the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her best friend.  Marigold Heavenly Nostrils is a majestic unicorn who isn’t used to the problems Phoebe faces, like kids thinking she’s weird, piano lessons, and what it means to be a friend.  Somehow a funny awkward girl and a self-absorbed mythical creature are able to find common ground and become friends!  If you find yourself laughing as much as I did, you will be happy to know that this is just the first in the Heavenly Nostrils series!

You can find it in our Juvenile Graphic Novels collection under J GRAPHIC SIMPSON.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn

Book Review: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

For this Throwback Thursday I recommend: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.

In 1950, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C. S. Lewis was published and a children’s classic was born.  In this fantasy, four siblings are evacuated from London during WWII and sent to the country to live with a professor.  While exploring his house, they discover a magical wardrobe which is a portal to the land of Narnia.  Read this exciting adventure story and then watch the movie!

DVD

Book

You can find the book and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia series in the Juvenile Fiction section at J LEWIS and the movie in the Juvenile DVDs at jDVD FIC CHR.

~ps

Worlds Collide

Are you as excited as we are that Worlds Collide by Chris Colfer has arrived at the library?

In the highly anticipated conclusion to the Land of Stories series, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters–heroes and villains–are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy tale world?

Book Review: Frogkisser!

Today I recommend: Frogkisser! by Garth Nix.

Princess Anya has a big problem: Duke Rikard, her step-stepfather is an evil wizard who wants to rule the kingdom and has a habit of changing people into frogs, and her older sister Morven, the heir, is a wimp–so with the help of the librarian Gotfried (who turns into an owl when he is upset), and the Royal Dogs, she must find away to defeat Rikard, save her sister, and maybe even turn Prince Denholm back into a human being.

This fantasy book has everything you could want: humor in the shape of hilarious talking dogs, the classic fantasy elements in the magic lip balm, newts, otters, a Good Wizard, and a strong main character! It also subverts a lot of fantasy tropes, there is no romance plot for our brave main character, Princess Anya. The book also has some interesting discussions about privilege and how laws should apply equally to everyone. This book is pretty hefty at 372 pages but if you love fantasy this is a book for you! You can find it in the Juvenile Fiction section at J NIX.

~aw

Book Review: The First Last Day

Today we recommend: The First Last Day by Dorian Cirrone.

Eleven-year-old Haleigh Adams paints a picture with a mysterious set of paints she found and now she is stuck in a time loop, but when she realizes her parents have been keeping a secret she and her new best friend Kevin must find the source of the magic paints and the secret of the time loop before it is too late.

Haleigh doesn’t want summer to end and finds herself repeating her last day of summer break over and over again. As you might expect, this turns out to be less fun than she thought especially when it turns out that lives are at stake. This is a really fun summer read, the writing is realistic (you know except for the time travel), and the tone is humorous. If you’re a fan of time-loops like in the movie Groundhog Day then this is the book for you! You can find it in the Juvenile Fiction section at J CIRRONE.

~aw

Book Review: The Girl Who Drank the Moon

This week I finished reading The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.

An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest to keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind and gentle and rescues the babies. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this enmagicked girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Soon, it is up to Luna to protect those who have protected her–even if it means the end of the loving, safe world she’s always known.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon was 2016’s Newbery Award Winner, and is a good book for anyone who likes very detailed fantasy novels. This book has a slower pace but the question of who exactly is spreading the rumors about the evil witch will keep you reading to the end of the novel. You can find this book in the Juvenile Fiction section at J Barnhill.

~aw