MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX
Welcome to the debut issue of Middle Shelf: Cool Reads for Kids. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing new endeavor. Good books have the power to entertain, to spark imaginations, and to transform lives, which is precisely why Middle Shelf came into being. We want to connect middle grade readers with the very best books, whether they are on the best-seller lists, published by small and indie presses, or self-published. What will you find in this issue? First, Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of many popular books for kids and teens, gives us a glimpse into the latest book in her The Missing series. Gilbert Ford and Nicole de las Heras discuss how they worked together to create the cover for Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, who is interviewed in this issue as well.
Welcome to the debut issue of Middle Shelf: Cool Reads for Kids. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing new endeavor. Good books have the power to entertain, to spark imaginations, and to transform lives, which is precisely why Middle Shelf came into being. We want to connect middle grade readers with the very best books, whether they are on the best-seller lists, published by small
and indie presses, or self-published. What will you find in this issue? First, Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of many popular books for kids and teens, gives us a glimpse into the latest book in her The Missing series. Gilbert Ford and Nicole de las Heras discuss how they worked together to create the cover for Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, who is interviewed in this issue as well.
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
est of the<br />
Ages 8-12<br />
THE BOOK<br />
MONSTERS<br />
http://www.<br />
thebookmonsters.com/<br />
book-review-the-cats-oftanglewood-forest/<br />
42<br />
P R E M I E R E I S S U E : F A L L 2 0 1 3<br />
book blogs<br />
The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint<br />
Illustrated by Charles Vess<br />
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers<br />
[SUMMARY]<br />
In this whimsical, original folktale<br />
written and illustrated throughout<br />
in vibrant full color by two<br />
celebrated masters of modern<br />
fantasy, a young girl’s journey<br />
becomes an enchanting comingof-age<br />
story about magic, friendship,<br />
and the courage to shape<br />
one’s own destiny.<br />
Lillian Kindred spends her days<br />
exploring the Tanglewood Forest,<br />
a magical, rolling wilderness that<br />
she imagines to be full of fairies.<br />
The trouble is, Lillian has never<br />
seen a wisp of magic in her hills—<br />
until the day the cats of the forest<br />
save her life by transforming her<br />
into a kitten. Now Lillian must set<br />
out on a perilous adventure that<br />
will lead her through untamed<br />
lands of fabled creatures—from<br />
Old Mother Possum to the fearsome<br />
Bear People—to find a way<br />
to make things right.<br />
[REVIEW]<br />
Lillian is a girl that reminded me<br />
of myself, in love with old tales of<br />
fairies and magic. When she falls<br />
asleep one day beneath a tree, she<br />
is bitten by a snake and the cats<br />
of Tanglewood Forest turn her into<br />
a kitten to save her life. The only<br />
problem is she is not happy to be<br />
a kitten instead of a little girl and<br />
seeks out a way to change back.<br />
What she finds is that turning<br />
back into a little girl may mean a<br />
worse fate for her dear Aunt, who<br />
takes care of her and is her only<br />
family in the world. Lillian must<br />
now find a way to save her only<br />
family. But what is she willing to<br />
give up to save her Aunt? Through<br />
this journey, Lillian learns more<br />
than any little girl about what it<br />
means to be human.<br />
I loved the illustrations in this<br />
novel, enough that I am putting<br />
this one on my “to buy” list. I<br />
have always been a fan of de<br />
Lint’s storytelling and paired with<br />
Vess’s illustrations, I felt completely<br />
transported into the story. I<br />
felt that I was Lillian, trying to save<br />
my only family while wanting to<br />
keep my true human form.<br />
Final verdict: The Cats of Tanglewood<br />
Forest is a fantastical<br />
read that will transport you to<br />
Lillian’s world — filled with magic<br />
and unbelievable characters.
Change language