I’ve done a few book reviews before, when I’ve volunteered or read a book by someone I knew, but a while back I was contacted by a publicist I’ve never heard of who wanted to send me books! It wasn’t hard to figure out why. I have two daughters, ages 10 and almost-9. The Fairy Chronicles had them at hello. It’s a good thing they sent two books, or otherwise, we’d have a war going on! A couple of days later, I was “allowed” to read the first book myself, after Princess was finished. Gothgrrl is finished with the second book and impatient to read the first one. They assured me I would enjoy them. When I asked what the first book was about, Princess launched into an excruciatingly detailed synopsis that was still going when school started. Yeah, they liked what they read. They were disappointed to learn they’d have to wait til July to get the third and fourth books.

 
The Fairy Chronicles is a set of four (so far) books written by J.H. Sweet and beautifully illustrated by Tara Larsen Chang. The tagline is “Inside you is the power to do anything.” I like that. I know better, but I’m old and cynical and my girls aren’t yet. The first book is Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins (The Fairy Chronicles, Book 1). Nine-year-old Beth goes to spend two weeks with her crazy aunt (and we all have one; I even AM one!) who informs her that they are both  fairies. I had a flashback to Samantha breaking the news to Darren that she’s a witch. In this mythos, the fairies each have a different gift, or a secret power. They work together to help people and solve problems. Right there you have some nice underlying themes that may not be so obvious to kids, what with all the magic. The little girls who turn into fairies are stronger and more capable than they could imagine. Their mission is to help the Brownies (the sprites, not the Girl Scouts) recover their treasured feather from the nasty Gremlins. The plot is secondary to the rush the girl/fairies get by using their powers to turn wrong into right.

I found the writing way over-descriptive, but that’s my age showing. My daughters adored the detailed description of the outfits each fairy wore, and flowery explanations of the characters and their personalities. It works for the target readership. Half of the first book sets up the fairy mythology; I imagine the later books add to that or have more involved missions. Gothgrrl, who read the second book (Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams) first, had no trouble understanding it. I have had just enough time to skim through the second book, and they bring a new reader up to speed in about four pages -the rest is adventure.

Marigold and the Feather of Hope ends with a few fascinating extras, including a recipe, nature facts, a preview of the other books, and even an article on the Cottingley Fairies. The Fairy Chronicles are recommended for ages 7 and up, but younger children may enjoy having the stories read to them. Readers who are ready for chapter books will have no problem. 104 pages to the story, and the type is large enough for young readers and presbyopics like me. So you have little girls, magic, beautiful clothing and wings, special powers, missions to help set the world right, and more books to look forward to. What else could a little girl want?

Look for the first two books at a bookstore near you, or you can click these images and order them from Amazon. Remember, when you go through Miss Cellania and buy anything from Amazon, I get a small portion. The third and fourth books will be available sometime in July. Read more about The Fairy Chronicles here.

And now for something completely different...

For those who expect something a bit more adult, here’s your Story Time.

Deana Molinaro’s Not-for-Children Books. (via the Presurfer)

94 Ways to Keep Kids Busy for the Work at Home Parent. I’ll be working on the ages 8-13 list this summer. (via the Presurfer)

Kids in the News

A nine-year-old German girl held up a sign in her bedroom window that said "Help! Please call the police!" and of course, someone did. Turns out she was in trouble with her mom for not cleaning up her messy room.

Blog of the Day: Everest 2007. This would be fascinating even if you didn’t know that it was written by 18-year-old Samantha Larsen, who holds the world record for the youngest climber to scale all the world’s “seven summits”, while maintaining high grades and playing in the orchestra.

A Fair(y) Use Tale. Disney characters explaining copyright laws.

Thought for today: According to the fairies, the two most important things in life are how we treat other people and what we teach to children. -The Fairy Chronicles

humor book review video funny fairy Fairy Chronicles childrens books Marigold

Stumble this!