The Monster in the Hollows (Wingfeather Saga) - Andrew Peterson

"It is an ancient need to be told stories. But the story needs a great storyteller."

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 Book Three of The Wingfeather Saga

Janner Wingfeather's father was the High King of Anniera. But his father is gone. The kingdom has fallen. The royal family is on the run, and the Fang armies of Gnag the Nameless are close behind.

Janner and his family hope to find refuge in the last safe place in the world: the Green Hollows--a land of warriors feared even by Fangs of Dang. But there's a big problem. Janner's little brother-heir to the throne of Anniera-has grown a tail. And gray fur. Not to mention two pointed ears and long, dangerous fangs. To the suspicious folk of the Green Hollows he looks like a monster.

But Janner knows better. His brother isn't as scary as he looks. He's perfectly harmless.

Or is he?

Join the Wingfeathers on an adventure filled with mystery, betrayal, and sneakery in a land of tasty fruits. There's a monster on the loose and the truth lurks in the shadows. 

***

Andrew Peterson is a master wordsmith.  A storyteller extraordinaire.  His books make all of us that read his words better people.  He spins a yarn effortlessly, brilliantly but that is not what he does best.  What he does best is remind us that there is more to us than us.  He reminds us that our Lord and Maker is our one true gift, he never leaves or deviates from that one primary, central truth.  

Lest one think that this is simply just another Christian fantasy novel please hear me when I say that 'The Wingfeather Saga' is no more a trite trio of books than the 'The Lord of the Rings' was simply another tale of elves and wizards.  Andrew Peterson deserves his place among the great authors that came before...Tolkien, Lewis.  If you have ever lamented the fact that you were too young to have witnessed first hand the birth of a classic novel then I suggest you begin reading Andrew Peterson post haste, for here in this collected work we have true artistry, a classic tale destined to be read and reread for generations to come.  How blessed we are to have a writer like Peterson among our midst.

'The Monster in the Hollows' is a book you will want to read with your children if you have them.  If not, then it is a book that you will simply want to read.  I feel compelled to warn you before hand that once you pick up this book you will have a very hard time putting it down.  Expect long nights, missed appointments and for your answering machine to fill up.  Feed your pets ahead of time and fill your coffee cup because you are in for a fantastic journey.

***

Andrew Peterson

Hey, folks. If you're just discovering me or any of my work, it can be a little confusing because there are several facets to it. Here's the rundown:
* I write songs. I also record them to these cool things called CDs and put on concerts around the country. (And beyond! To my great delight, I get to play in Europe every year or so.)
* I write books. Right now I'm three books into a fantasy series for young readers. It's called the Wingfeather Saga. I just published book three (of four), in May of 2011. I also illustrated some of the pictures. (WingfeatherSaga.com)
* I'm the proprietor of the Rabbit Room., a community of songwriters, authors, and artists interested in storytelling, faith, and fellowship. We have a yearly conference called Hutchmoot, which is as awesome as it sounds. (Hutchmoot.com)
* I'm a proud member of the Square Peg Alliance, a happy band of singer/songwriters who write together, tour together, and eat together. (SquarePegAlliance.com)
* I've been married for fifteen years to Jamie, and we have three sweet children: Aedan (12), Asher (11), and Skye (8). We live in a magical place we call the Warren, just south of Nashville.
The common thread in all this is my love for Christ and his Kingdom, my belief in the power of story and art, and my need for family and community. If I had to boil it all down, I'd say this: I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can.


* I received an advance copy from the publisher for purposes of review. I was in no way obligated to write a review much less a favorable one. The opinions stated herein are all my own.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane A novel by Kate DiCamillo

Candlewick Press, 2006
Ages 7 and up, ISBN 0-7636-2589-2

Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely.

And then, one day, he was lost.

Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline take us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

***

This is an absolutely beautiful tale.  It will break your heart, warm your soul and make you smile.  Words really can't express how much I love this book.  It will always hold a place of honor on our bookshelf.  If you have even the smallest glimmer of sentimentality in your heat, have a fondness for The Velveteen Rabbit, have a penchant for love stories (for this is truly a love story...), or just simply enjoy reading an amazingly well crafted story deftly told by an able artist then please consider gifting yourself with the joy that is Edward Tulane.

***

Chapter One
 
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely of china. He had china arms and china legs, china paws and a china head, a china torso and a china nose. His arms and legs were jointed and joined by wire so that his china elbows and china knees could be bent, giving him much freedom of movement.
    His ears were made of real rabbit fur, and beneath the fur, there were strong, bendable wires, which allowed the ears to be arranged into poses that reflected the rabbit’s mood — jaunty, tired, full of ennui. His tail, too, was made of real rabbit fur and was fluffy and soft and well shaped.
    The rabbit’s name was Edward Tulane, and he was tall. He measured almost three feet from the tip of his ears to the tip of his feet; his eyes were painted a penetrating and intelligent blue.
    In all, Edward Tulane felt himself to be an exceptional specimen. Only his whiskers gave him pause. They were long and elegant (as they should be), but they were of uncertain origin. Edward felt quite strongly that they were not the whiskers of a rabbit. Whom the whiskers had belonged to initially — what unsavory animal — was a question that Edward could not bear to consider for too long. And so he did not. He preferred, as a rule, not to think unpleasant thoughts.
    Edward’s mistress was a ten-year-old, dark-haired girl named Abilene Tulane, who thought almost as highly of Edward as Edward thought of himself. Each morning after she dressed herself for school, Abilene dressed Edward.
    The china rabbit was in possession of an extraordinary wardrobe composed of handmade silk suits, custom shoes fashioned from the finest leather and designed specifically for his rabbit feet, and a wide array of hats equipped with holes so that they could easily fit over Edward’s large and expressive ears. Each pair of well-cut pants had a small pocket for Edward’s gold pocket watch. Abilene wound this watch for him each morning.
    “Now, Edward,” she said to him after she was done winding the watch, “when the big hand is on the twelve and the little hand is on the three, I will come home to you.”
    She placed Edward on a chair in the dining room and positioned the chair so that Edward was looking out the window and could see the path that led up to the Tulane front door. Abilene balanced the watch on his left leg. She kissed the tips of his ears, and then she left and Edward spent the day staring out at Egypt Street, listening to the tick of his watch and waiting.
     Of all the seasons of the year, the rabbit most preferred winter, for the sun set early then and the dining-room windows became dark and Edward could see his own reflection in the glass. And what a reflection it was! What an elegant figure he cut! Edward never ceased to be amazed at his own fineness.
    In the evening, Edward sat at the dining-room table with the other members of the Tulane family: Abilene; her mother and father; and Abilene’s grandmother, who was called Pellegrina. True, Edward’s ears barely cleared the tabletop, and true also, he spent the duration of the meal staring straight ahead at nothing but the bright and blinding white of the tablecloth. But he was there, a rabbit at the table.
    Abilene’s parents found it charming that Abilene considered Edward real, and that she sometimes requested that a phrase or story be repeated because Edward had not heard it.
    “Papa,” Abilene would say, “I’m afraid that Edward didn’t catch that last bit.”
    Abilene’s father would then turn in the direction of Edward’s ears and speak slowly, repeating what he had just said for the benefit of the china rabbit. Edward pretended, out of courtesy to Abilene, to listen. But, in truth, he was not very interested in what people had to say. And also, he did not care for Abilene’s parents and their condescending manner toward him. All adults, in fact, condescended to him.
    Only Abilene’s grandmother spoke to him as Abilene did, as one equal to another. Pellegrina was very old. She had a large, sharp nose and bright, black eyes that shone like dark stars. It was Pellegrina who was responsible for Edward’s existence. It was she who had commissioned his making, she who had ordered his silk suits and his pocket watch, his jaunty hats and his bendable ears, his fine leather shoes and his jointed arms and legs, all from a master craftsman in her native France. It was Pellegrina who had given him as a gift to Abilene on her seventh birthday.
    And it was Pellegrina who came each night to tuck Abilene into her bed and Edward into his.
    “Will you tell us a story, Pellegrina?” Abilene asked her grandmother each night.
    “Not tonight, lady,” said Pellegrina.
    “When?” asked Abilene. “What night?”
    “Soon,” said Pellegrina. “Soon there will be a story.”
    And then she turned off the light, and Edward and Abilene lay in the dark of the bedroom.
    “I love you, Edward,” Abilene said each night after Pellegrina had left. She said those words and then she waited, almost as if she expected Edward to say something in return.
    Edward said nothing. He said nothing because, of course, he could not speak. He lay in his small bed next to Abilene’s large one. He stared up at the ceiling and listened to the sound of her breath entering and leaving her body, knowing that soon she would be asleep. Because Edward’s eyes were painted on and he could not close them, he was always awake.
    Sometimes, if Abilene put him into his bed on his side instead of on his back, he could see through the cracks in the curtains and out into the dark night. On clear nights, the stars shone, and their pinprick light comforted Edward in a way that he could not quite understand. Often, he stared at the stars all night until the dark finally gave way to dawn.



THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE by Kate DiCamillo. Text copyright © 2006 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2006 by Bagram Ibatoulline. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, raised in Clermont, Florida, and currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I write for both children and adults and I like to think of myself as a storyteller. Here are a few more facts about me: I am short. And loud. I hate to cook and love to eat. I am single and childless, but I have lots of friends and I am an aunt to three lovely children (Luke, Roxanne, and Max) and one not so lovely dog (Henry). I think of myself as an enormously lucky person: I get to tell stories for a living.

My First Hands-On Bible

My First Hands-On Bible is the preschooler version of the popular Hands-On Bible, which has sold over a half million copies. Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations; My First Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. My First Hands-On Bible is a fun and simple yet meaningful way to engage preschool, pre-K, and K children (ages 3-6) with the Bible while helping them build a solid faith foundation. Each lesson focuses on a specific Bible point through a variety of activities in order to reinforce and help young children remember the stories and lessons. Using common household items, you can help your children have a “hands-on” learning experience while engaging them in 85 key stories from the Bible. My First Hands-On Bible doesn’t just retell the Bible stories; it also includes actual Scripture from the easy-to-understand and easy-to-read Holy Bible, New Living Translation. In addition to the stories and activities, there are fun illustrations, prayers, and a special Jesus Connection feature.

From the Back Cover

The Bible young children can really get their hands on!

Go from just reading the Bible with your kids to experiencing it! My First Hands-On Bible does what no other Bible can—it brings the Bible to life with fun activities and games that tie directly to the Bible stories.
My First Hands-On Bible features

• 85 exciting Bible stories from the clear and easy-to-understand New Living Translation
• “Jesus Connections” to help kids see Jesus throughout the Bible
• Colorful, original illustrations
• Exciting activities and top-notch games created by the people who brought you the award-winning Hands-On Bible curriculum

With My First Hands-On Bible, kids will get into the Bible, and the Bible will get into their hearts, giving them a priceless foundation of faith in God.

  
Reading level: Ages 4-8
***

Perfection.  Such a relative thing really.  What is perfect for one, another sees only flaws.  A Bible is highly personal and people have opinions.  This particular Bible is written for little ones..."Jesus said to them, `Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'" ~Mark 10: 14 & 15~  Mind you..."do not hinder them...".  The Hands-On Bible" is an easily accessible ( read that as non-hindering) Bible for children. This is key, for our smallest children, have equally small attention spans and if you ever find a Bible (or nearly anything else for that matter) that can capture their attention for any length of time and that "thing" is beneficial (no, Spongebob does not count) then ye had best hold onto it and encourage it.  A lifelong relationship with Jesus is a gift.  The greatest gift that any parent can give.  Far and beyond anything else, it is a duty, that I think every parent should take with the highest regard.  Well, now, Tyndale has made that goal so much easier and dare I say...fun? Yup, fun and scriptural.  That's right this Bible is scripture,  not stories.  Perfection?  Mayhaps.  I know that if you, as a parent or caregiver can present God to a child in a beautiful and friendly way then that child has a better chance of finding his or her 'way' through the narrow gate.  Show them, lead them, love them.

 

*Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or ARC.

Zorgamazoo - Robert Paul Weston

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Zorgamazoo tells the rhyming, rhythmical tale of Katrina, a girl with a big heart and an even bigger imagination.

Too bad Old Krabby will have none of it! She thinks Katrina is losing her marbles—and worse, she hires the quack neurosurgeon, Doctor LeFang, to make a midnight housecall! But there’s nothing wrong with Katrina’s noggin. In fact, she’s perfectly sane (Old Krabby’s the one who’s lame in the brain!)

The strange figure Katrina spotted, bumbling through the subway tunnels beneath the city, is Morty the zorgle. He’s been sent on a quest to find the lost zorgles of Zorgamazoo...

When Katrina and Morty join forces, however, they discover it’s not just the zorgles who have gone missing. Someone—or something—has kidnapped all of the Earth’s most magical creatures!

It isn’t long before Katrina and Morty uncover a bizarre, intergalactic conspiracy that threatens the existence of every last griffin, ogre, sphinx, dragon, mermaid, pixie and zorgle on the planet!

***

Amazing.  I read this book out loud to my darling daughter-8 and stepson-12.  They both loved this book and couldn't wait for story time:)  I highly recommend this book as it is a joy to read and it fairly begs to be read aloud.  Think Dr. Seuss meets Roald Dahl meets Tim Burton.  So go ahead, curl up with your absolute favorite person or people, grab a cup of tea and settle into the coziest spot in your home (or whereever) and read, read, read.  You'll be glad you did.

Read the first chapter here.

         

Robert Paul Weston

Robert Paul Weston is the author of Zorgamazoo (which ought to be read aloud to someone you love) and Dust City (a thriller inspired by fairy tales). Currently, he lives in Canada, where he lectures in creative writing at the University of Toronto. Zorgamazoo won the 2010 Silver Birch Award, and was shortlisted for the E.B. White Read Aloud Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award. This biography was provided by the author or their representative.

Vampires and Cells by Agnieszka Biskup

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In cartoon format, uses vampires to explain the science of cells.

Reading Level: 3-4

Interest Level: 3-9

ISBN:  9781429665827 / 1-4296-6582-3

Okay, let me say up front I really like vampires.   Even if, lately, I've developed a keen fondness for Zombies, I still have an undeniable soft spot for a rakish vampire or two (a la Anne Rice-sorry Twilight fans).  I also should mention that I really like anything educational for children that makes it fun for them.  So, when I saw that there was a vampire all poised and ready to explain the basics of life/biology well, the pun was not lost on me.  It's a clever and cute way to teach kids a little bit of how the world functions in an engaging and easily accessible format.  I stand by that assessment and I wholeheartedly love that there are authors out there interested and willing to put out this sort of material.  However, this reviewer, does almost all her reading on a Kindle and unfortunately this book did not fair well in the translation. I do believe that as a physical book it is probably wonderful. 

The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari-Donita K. Paul

Donita K. Paul, a former schoolteacher, is the author of the popular Dragon Keeper books. The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari is just one in a series of books that teach children Biblical truths in an accessible and entertaining manner. My 8 year old daughter realy enjoyed reading this book and she delighted in the lovely illustrations. As a mother I appreciated the important lessons that the book taught about friendship, cooperation and overcoming ones fears. Each volume is built upon solid biblical teaching and this particular edition is built upon Deuteronomy 31:6. The verse reads "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid....God goes with you; he will never leave you." The story demonstrates this truth gracefully. The book also includes a section at the back to aid parents in an active discussion to help children understand times when it is important to be brave or encouraging to others. If you are looking for an entertaining and engaging way to not only teach your children important bible based lessons but to also connect with them on a deeper level this series of books is a wonderful tool. The books are absolutely appropriate for all groups and mayhaps even a few adults could learn a lesson or two from these stories.

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark,
illustrated by Vincent Nguyen
Waterbrook Press, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-44645-9

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review