Review: Dealing with Dragons

By Patricia Wrede

Harcourt; 2002; 240 pages

Tween Fiction;

Grades: 5-9

ISBN: 978-0-152-04566-1

Cimorene is not your normal princess. She is not typically pretty, she likes to swordfight, and the only thing she can cook is Cherries Jubilee. So, she runs away from home to live with a dragon, and does NOT want to be rescued! While living with Kazul, her dragon, the wizards try to steal dragon magic, and it is up to Cimorene to save the day!

My Thoughts:
This is an absolutely enchanting and amazing book! It is a wittily written novel that takes a new spin on the fantasy genre. For example, the witch character Morwen cannot be melted with water, but wizards can...provided the water is soapy. Also, the wizards are not magical, but rather their staff leaches magic from the magical beings around them. The characters are all fully developed, the action moves along at a quick pace, and the plot takes unexpected by pleasant twists and turns. I was glad to learn that it was the first in a series because I was definitely not tired of Cimorene, Kazul, and Morwen at the end.

I felt that this was also a great book for tweens, since it is too advanced for younger kids, but doesn't have ANY objectionable material, such as what is often found in the cutting edge teen literature. Most importantly, Cimorene is a great role model for tween girls who are having to adjust physically, emotionally, and socially to the world around them. She is a strong woman, who embraces being herself, and positively influences the environment and people that surround her.

The Thoughts of Others:
Sally Estes wrote a review for Booklist in 1990. She also had a positive reaction to the book. She noted Wrede's "witty playfulness" and summed the book up as "a decidedly diverting novel with plenty of action and many slightly skewed fairy-tale conventions that add to the laugh-out-loud reading pleasure and give the story a wide appeal."

Kirkus Review's 1990 opinion of the novel praised the feminist viewpoint, which it noted was not carried out with a heavy hand. It appreciated that "both Cimorene and her dragon are firmly drawn, tough-minded females who refuse to conform to stereotypes (being female doesn't prevent a dragon from becoming king)."

Review: Tale of Despereaux

By: Kate DiCamillo

Candlewick Press; 2003; 267 Pages

Juvenile Fiction; Newbery Award Winner

Grades: 3-6

ISBN: 9780763617226

The story of a very little mouse with enormous ears. When Despereaux falls in love with a human princess, the castle culture is rocked to the core. Despereaux is forced into many exciting and dangerous adventures as he rushes to save the girl he loves.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought that the style was great, reminiscent of early novels from the 1800's, with the narrator often addressing comments directly to the Dear Reader. At the same time the plot moved along at a rapid pace, there were twists and turns through out, and the language was not mired in prohibitive vocabulary. (Although, the young reader will quickly learn the meaning of "perfidy.") I also thought that the plot itself was highly original. Although there have been other stories of princesses, mice, rats, and dungeons, DiCamillo somehow manages to avoid being derivative.

There are several aspects that I truly liked. The first is that soup is central to the storyline. I like soup. The second is that Despereaux is an underdog, and I think that kids will be able to identify with him. No one seems to expect much out of him, and they are easily frustrated when he doesn't fit into thier mold. By maintaining his integrity, he is actually able to do what those who are larger and better qualified cannot. I also loved that the story is not set in a specific era. Though it takes place in a castle, the king is depicted as singing the sixties hit "Deep Purple." Also, no one seems surprised that the animals can talk and interact with the people. Finally, I appreciated that the story teaches certain morals,but is never preachy. It teaches the importance of forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. It also teaches that love, though ridiculous, is powerful.

The Thoughts of Others:

Miriam Lang Budin wrote a review for School Library Journal in which she likened DiCamillo's writing to both Henry Fielding and George Orwell. She summed the work up as "entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun."

Booklist's Ilene Cooper appreciated the hidden lessons, writing that, "as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later." She also appreciated the way that DiCamillo seamlessly wove four storylines together.