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aylea's reviews
1400 reviews
Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Cruzita is going to be a pop star, but she needs her family’s troubles to get out of her way. She needs to go to her favorite theme park so she can enter the singing contest, but her Tio Chuy died recently, making her family need to pay more attention to the bakery he loved. Along with having to learn how to roll tortillas, she’s forced to take mariachi lessons even though she doesn’t know how to play violin and isn’t good at Spanish. As Cruz starts to make friends, she learns how to connect to her heritage and her culture.
The actual plot can sometimes be a little weak. Some of her changes seem to happen suddenly, and occasionally that abruptness takes away from the immersion. How has Cruz not noticed certain behaviors about her friend until now? Why does the contest move so quickly? But those plot questions aren’t supposed to be a primary part of the book, so I didn’t notice them until after reading it. The highlight is Cruz’s struggle with her identity.
This book is heartfelt and emotional. Cruz deals with wanting her own dreams and the needs of her family, and as a result, she’s sometimes selfish and short-sighted. Her big challenge is trying to figure out who she is with her heritage. Her family is Mexican, but she struggles with Spanish and making the treats her family does at the bakery. Her friends who don’t share her heritage don’t see those things as important, and she sometimes feels like her family’s insistence on honoring their culture is holding her back. Cruz is sometimes selfish and doesn’t care about how her actions affect others, which may be frustrating for some readers — but at the same time, it’s something many kids will go through. She is nuanced and relatable, even if she isn’t always likable.
I loved the author’s personal note at the back of the book, talking about her own struggles to identify with a culture as being Mexican American. She says there, “Even as I began to learn more about Mexican culture, some of my family members were not so inviting. They called me hurtful names and told me that my experiences with Mexican American culture were inauthentic. That because I never learned as a child, I could never learn as an adult. And I almost stopped writing this novel because I felt unworthy. I still didn’t feel like I belonged in my own big Mexican family. But I wanted that last summer with my grandparents. So I continued to write the novel anyway. Cruzita helped heal a lot of trauma I’d experienced. She helped me find my way back home again, to my grandparents, to my culture, and to the town that started my love for books—Pacoima. No one can take away who you are, not even your family. You are free to learn about yourself for years after you’ve “grown up.”Because the truth is, hijitos, we never stop growing. And you deserve to know every part of yourself. It may take some time to understand how all the parts fit into one person, but when you find yourself, you will love every bit of your journey even more.”
The author captures those feelings and her experiences in this book. It feels personal because it is personal for her. While not everything about the book is executed well, the difficulty of navigating how you belong in a culture comes across with flying colors. And as a result, this is the kind of story I hope to see more of in the future.
The actual plot can sometimes be a little weak. Some of her changes seem to happen suddenly, and occasionally that abruptness takes away from the immersion. How has Cruz not noticed certain behaviors about her friend until now? Why does the contest move so quickly? But those plot questions aren’t supposed to be a primary part of the book, so I didn’t notice them until after reading it. The highlight is Cruz’s struggle with her identity.
This book is heartfelt and emotional. Cruz deals with wanting her own dreams and the needs of her family, and as a result, she’s sometimes selfish and short-sighted. Her big challenge is trying to figure out who she is with her heritage. Her family is Mexican, but she struggles with Spanish and making the treats her family does at the bakery. Her friends who don’t share her heritage don’t see those things as important, and she sometimes feels like her family’s insistence on honoring their culture is holding her back. Cruz is sometimes selfish and doesn’t care about how her actions affect others, which may be frustrating for some readers — but at the same time, it’s something many kids will go through. She is nuanced and relatable, even if she isn’t always likable.
I loved the author’s personal note at the back of the book, talking about her own struggles to identify with a culture as being Mexican American. She says there, “Even as I began to learn more about Mexican culture, some of my family members were not so inviting. They called me hurtful names and told me that my experiences with Mexican American culture were inauthentic. That because I never learned as a child, I could never learn as an adult. And I almost stopped writing this novel because I felt unworthy. I still didn’t feel like I belonged in my own big Mexican family. But I wanted that last summer with my grandparents. So I continued to write the novel anyway. Cruzita helped heal a lot of trauma I’d experienced. She helped me find my way back home again, to my grandparents, to my culture, and to the town that started my love for books—Pacoima. No one can take away who you are, not even your family. You are free to learn about yourself for years after you’ve “grown up.”Because the truth is, hijitos, we never stop growing. And you deserve to know every part of yourself. It may take some time to understand how all the parts fit into one person, but when you find yourself, you will love every bit of your journey even more.”
The author captures those feelings and her experiences in this book. It feels personal because it is personal for her. While not everything about the book is executed well, the difficulty of navigating how you belong in a culture comes across with flying colors. And as a result, this is the kind of story I hope to see more of in the future.
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Lucy is sent to live with a family of lighthouse keepers stationed on Lake Superior. The problem is that she has no interest in living on water when her father died in a shipwreck, possibly searching for a lost necklace that might not even be real. As she’s trying to fit in with the large, hard-working family she now lives live, she struggles to fit in with her daydreaming ways and fear of the water. Lucy wants to find the necklace to feel like her Papa is still around, but she quickly learns she isn’t the only person searching for it, and her search could put the Marin family she lives with out of their home.
This book manages to capture the cozy feeling of reading a book by L.M. Montgomery. Like Anne of Green Gables, Lucy of Lake Superior is a daydreamer who wants family but can get caught up in her own world and forget to pay attention to what is right in front of her. Lucy gets into trouble and isn’t always understood, but she manages to come out on top with her refusal to give up and kindness. Like Anne (and myself as a child), Lucy tries to deal with her fears and challenges through her imagination.
The Martins, in spite of the large number of them, are full of life and character. Lucy grows her relationship with each family member in different ways because they are individuals. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are absolute angel parents to their biological children and the child they take in, even when it is necessary to discipline them. The family is imperfect but good people, and the kind of family Lucy and readers happily want to belong to. Everyone has so much heart and spirit.
The book doesn’t remind me of L.M. Montgomery just because of the characters. The book has a sort of old-fashioned, friendly feel like in books I loved growing up like The Boxcar Children, The Five Little Peppers, Little House on the Prairie, and others that were considered older even when I was reading them. It’s a delight to find a similar book published today. Fans of those books or more recent books like The Penderwicks may enjoy this book.
The book also weaves in Ojibwe history and language naturally, as well as the history of Lake Superior. It’s not a major feature, but readers won’t be able to help learning a little bit about why lighthouses were used on the lake and about some indigenous history.
For me, one potential flaw of the book is its length. It’s short, so it doesn’t have as much time to develop Lucy’s relationship with the Martins or spend a lot of time helping Lucy get over her fears or anything else. There isn’t a lot of explanation, so you have to take everything at face value, which is mostly a flaw because Lucy herself doesn’t always know how to do that. The ending also maybe wraps up a little too nicely compared to a lot of stories today, but it fits well with the cozy, older style of books.
This is a sweet, charming story probably best for upper elementary school students or readers who want to feel a little bit like they did the first time they read about Anne Shirley.
The miniature mermaid of zennor by Emily Harper
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Isla loves listening to her grandfather's stories about Cornwall, but moving there when her dad goes missing on a diving trip isn't the same thing as hearing stories. When the stories become real, however, Isla's life becomes more magical than she could have imagined.
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with this book because of the poor writing and editing. I wonder if it had a professional editor look at it at all. The sentences were almost all structured the same, and some were structured poorly (how many "which" clauses can you put into a single sentence?). The story was also almost too simple, with the introduction too long and the ending feeling abrupt and undeveloped. The characters all felt one-dimensional and not particularly interesting.
It's a cute story based on a Cornish folktale, but unfortunately, it lacked enough depth to be an enjoyable read for me.
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time with this book because of the poor writing and editing. I wonder if it had a professional editor look at it at all. The sentences were almost all structured the same, and some were structured poorly (how many "which" clauses can you put into a single sentence?). The story was also almost too simple, with the introduction too long and the ending feeling abrupt and undeveloped. The characters all felt one-dimensional and not particularly interesting.
It's a cute story based on a Cornish folktale, but unfortunately, it lacked enough depth to be an enjoyable read for me.
365 Days to Alaska by Cathy Carr
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Hamlet Is Not Okay by R.A. Spratt
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Selby would rather watch TV than do homework, which she does until her parents notice and punish her by making her work with a tutor. That tutor insists she reads Hamlet, but neither of them expect to find themselves in the play itself, spending time with Hamlet.
For a book about how amazing reading is, this book is so boring. I’m not sure how you can make hanging out with Hamlet so dull, but somehow this book managed it.
The dialogue is weak and strange. People don’t talk like the kids do in this book. There’s a lot of strange banter that . Their actions don’t fully make sense. A lot of what’s happening in Hamlet has to be explained by her tutor, and that somehow makes Hamlet seem much less interesting than it is. This book might have been better if Selby was younger because her being 16 and this infuriating made the book feel more aggravating. The book in general feels like it should have been middle grade instead of YA. I think a ten-year-old is more likely to enjoy this than a fifteen-year-old.
The plot doesn’t completely make sense. Why does Selby travel to Hamlet specifically and not other books? How did she manage to not turn in homework for months? Why are her parents, supposedly smart people, more clueless even than the average parent in 90s cartoons? What on earth was that ending? How were Hamlet and Selby able to understand each other when they speak such different varieties of English?
However, the book had some funny lines. I liked the unique take on Hamlet and the ideas, even if I didn’t like the execution.
I’m usually such a sucker for books where the point is how wonderful reading and words are. This book did manage to convince me how important it is to use them well because this book doesn’t.
For a book about how amazing reading is, this book is so boring. I’m not sure how you can make hanging out with Hamlet so dull, but somehow this book managed it.
The dialogue is weak and strange. People don’t talk like the kids do in this book. There’s a lot of strange banter that . Their actions don’t fully make sense. A lot of what’s happening in Hamlet has to be explained by her tutor, and that somehow makes Hamlet seem much less interesting than it is. This book might have been better if Selby was younger because her being 16 and this infuriating made the book feel more aggravating. The book in general feels like it should have been middle grade instead of YA. I think a ten-year-old is more likely to enjoy this than a fifteen-year-old.
The plot doesn’t completely make sense. Why does Selby travel to Hamlet specifically and not other books? How did she manage to not turn in homework for months? Why are her parents, supposedly smart people, more clueless even than the average parent in 90s cartoons? What on earth was that ending? How were Hamlet and Selby able to understand each other when they speak such different varieties of English?
However, the book had some funny lines. I liked the unique take on Hamlet and the ideas, even if I didn’t like the execution.
I’m usually such a sucker for books where the point is how wonderful reading and words are. This book did manage to convince me how important it is to use them well because this book doesn’t.
The Encanto's Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
MJ spends most of her life traveling around without notice but not knowing why until it's revealed that she's the only child of the king of magical land, and she's due to be crowned queen in just a few weeks. Nobody wants a half-human ruler, and it's becoming more obvious that her father's death wasn't from natural causes. MJ needs to find out who cursed her father, navigate the complexities of a world she's unfamiliar with, find out what her magical talent is, keep up with homework, and figure out if Sir Lucas of the Sigbin Court is an enemy or an ally.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.
The Ascenditure by Robyn Dabney
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Princess Protection Program by Alex London
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Princess Rosamund isn't very happy about being woken up from a long sleep by a kiss from a stranger. A Door of Opportunity opens, allowing her to find the Princess Protection Program. This school helps fairy tale princesses escape the challenges of their stories. However, the longer Rosamund is in the program, the more questions she has. Why doesn’t anyone remember former students, and what happens to them when they graduate? What happens if a princess gets caught by her Uponatime, monsters determined to put the princesses back where they belong? Is it possible to change your story instead of simply escaping it?
In a lot of ways, the book feels familiar. It easily sits with stories like The School for Good and Evil, Ever After High, and the Descendants. It’s a familiar take on “fairy tales in real life going against their original trope.” And by familiar, I mean that most of the execution isn’t particularly memorable in a world full of vivid, exciting fairy tale retellings. That doesn’t mean it won’t find fans — young fairy tale lovers hungry for stories of princesses taking charge and being the heroes of their stories will still enjoy this book. But as someone who has always read every fairy tale variation I could get my hands on, I have to say this one doesn’t stand out as special.
Part of the problem is that it doesn’t seem to have a firm grip on its audience. It feels like a book for slightly younger readers (7-10 maybe) because of its lack of depth and occasional bathroom-type humor, but it also has concepts like consent for a kiss or even rebellion that seem slightly older. There’s also a character who is heavily implied to perhaps be gay, but the book doesn’t dare say for sure. I wish it were written a little older to make it a good choice for middle school instead of feeling like an upper elementary school read.
The dialogue felt unnatural, especially from the teenage characters from the regular world. In fairy tale characters, I could understand if they talked a little strangely, but all the characters do, whether they have an “I’m from a different world” excuse or not.
The story develops and has a lot of twists quickly, but unfortunately it doesn’t necessarily help make it more interesting because it actually makes it so that the other characters and general concept of the world they are in don’t have time to develop. There are too many characters and not enough time or effort to get to know them besides, "Oh, that's Cinderella." The ending will either thrill people or leave them confused because a decent amount of it feels like it came out of nowhere.
Those don’t mean it wasn’t fun. It just wasn’t as fun as a story about princesses trying to take care of their happy endings probably should have been.
I appreciated that the author has clearly researched the fairy tales he is working with. There are small references to variations of the stories in different languages, and writers like Perrault and more modern favorites are referenced.
The general moral is that the princesses (and one prince) should be able to make their own choices in their stories. They end up in the real world through a Door of Opportunity that appears because their story doesn’t consider their wants and needs. I like that concept, but I wish the princesses had more influence because it still feels like many characters are not doing much to find their happy endings.
Some young fairy tale lovers will love this, but I wouldn’t recommend it as one of the great books in the category. I wish it had more depth and development to take the interesting levels to that level.
In a lot of ways, the book feels familiar. It easily sits with stories like The School for Good and Evil, Ever After High, and the Descendants. It’s a familiar take on “fairy tales in real life going against their original trope.” And by familiar, I mean that most of the execution isn’t particularly memorable in a world full of vivid, exciting fairy tale retellings. That doesn’t mean it won’t find fans — young fairy tale lovers hungry for stories of princesses taking charge and being the heroes of their stories will still enjoy this book. But as someone who has always read every fairy tale variation I could get my hands on, I have to say this one doesn’t stand out as special.
Part of the problem is that it doesn’t seem to have a firm grip on its audience. It feels like a book for slightly younger readers (7-10 maybe) because of its lack of depth and occasional bathroom-type humor, but it also has concepts like consent for a kiss or even rebellion that seem slightly older. There’s also a character who is heavily implied to perhaps be gay, but the book doesn’t dare say for sure. I wish it were written a little older to make it a good choice for middle school instead of feeling like an upper elementary school read.
The dialogue felt unnatural, especially from the teenage characters from the regular world. In fairy tale characters, I could understand if they talked a little strangely, but all the characters do, whether they have an “I’m from a different world” excuse or not.
The story develops and has a lot of twists quickly, but unfortunately it doesn’t necessarily help make it more interesting because it actually makes it so that the other characters and general concept of the world they are in don’t have time to develop. There are too many characters and not enough time or effort to get to know them besides, "Oh, that's Cinderella." The ending will either thrill people or leave them confused because a decent amount of it feels like it came out of nowhere.
Those don’t mean it wasn’t fun. It just wasn’t as fun as a story about princesses trying to take care of their happy endings probably should have been.
I appreciated that the author has clearly researched the fairy tales he is working with. There are small references to variations of the stories in different languages, and writers like Perrault and more modern favorites are referenced.
The general moral is that the princesses (and one prince) should be able to make their own choices in their stories. They end up in the real world through a Door of Opportunity that appears because their story doesn’t consider their wants and needs. I like that concept, but I wish the princesses had more influence because it still feels like many characters are not doing much to find their happy endings.
Some young fairy tale lovers will love this, but I wouldn’t recommend it as one of the great books in the category. I wish it had more depth and development to take the interesting levels to that level.
Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Eva is spending the summer in her English grandmother's manor and facing a lot of questions. There are secrets everywhere, and the tensions are high in the family. Eva learns that the staff are convinced that certain fairy tales known to just them and the family are true and that there are portals between worlds. They say Eva's grandmother had once been a queen in this world, but losing her sisters to a horrible tragedy has made her deny it all. Eva is determined to find out what really happened by uncovering family secrets and finding out if the stories are true once and for all.
This book is dealing with a real historical event, generational trauma, family relationships, magical realism, and other worlds. It's a lot to cover, and as a result, it feels a little bit like it doesn't cover some of it enough.
Once a Queen has obvious parallels to The Chronicles of Narnia, and the author is a major fan of C.S. Lewis. The writing style in a lot of ways reflects this. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the adventure, excitement, or characters that Narnia does. The fairy tales in the story are highlighted through excerpts and the beginning of chapters and in mentions here and there from the characters. If you want to read a portal fantasy or about a new magical world, you should know that isn't what this book is.
The primary focus is not on the magical elements but about Eva's grandmother processing grief in tragedy. Considering that the main character is an observer in most of this, it's harder to feel a connection to the book. The sluggish plot and Eva's slowness to take action or put things together didn't help.
The world building is strangely lacking considering how much time the book spends discussing it, and we spend hardly any time in a different world. The stories from the world are mostly generic, and the characters are run of the mill. Even though everyone in the family and the staff are supposed to love these stories, including Eva who didn't know they were real and her father who is making them the topic of his academic studies, there isn't a spark to them.
The book was a slow read, and I wouldn't be particularly interested in reading more books in the series. It feels more like a prequel than an introduction to a series. To compare it to Narnia, this is more like "The Magician's Nephew" -- lots of setup but kind of boring if you don't care about the world it's developing. It's no "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".
This book is dealing with a real historical event, generational trauma, family relationships, magical realism, and other worlds. It's a lot to cover, and as a result, it feels a little bit like it doesn't cover some of it enough.
Once a Queen has obvious parallels to The Chronicles of Narnia, and the author is a major fan of C.S. Lewis. The writing style in a lot of ways reflects this. Unfortunately, this book doesn't have the adventure, excitement, or characters that Narnia does. The fairy tales in the story are highlighted through excerpts and the beginning of chapters and in mentions here and there from the characters. If you want to read a portal fantasy or about a new magical world, you should know that isn't what this book is.
The primary focus is not on the magical elements but about Eva's grandmother processing grief in tragedy. Considering that the main character is an observer in most of this, it's harder to feel a connection to the book. The sluggish plot and Eva's slowness to take action or put things together didn't help.
The world building is strangely lacking considering how much time the book spends discussing it, and we spend hardly any time in a different world. The stories from the world are mostly generic, and the characters are run of the mill. Even though everyone in the family and the staff are supposed to love these stories, including Eva who didn't know they were real and her father who is making them the topic of his academic studies, there isn't a spark to them.
The book was a slow read, and I wouldn't be particularly interested in reading more books in the series. It feels more like a prequel than an introduction to a series. To compare it to Narnia, this is more like "The Magician's Nephew" -- lots of setup but kind of boring if you don't care about the world it's developing. It's no "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".
Folk Tales for Fearless Girls (Inspiring Heroines) by Samantha Newman
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This beautifully illustrated book shares folk tales from around the world about girls who find their own happy endings no matter what happens in their stories. The book tells short tales about girls from a variety of places and cultures, including the Chippewa tribe of North America, Italy, Germany, Maori, France, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mongolia, India, Korea, Armenia, Croatia, Kenya, and Nigeria.
One of the standout elements of this book are the stunning illustrations. They are gorgeous and the perfect complement to the stories. They help bring the cultures readers are less familiar with to life. The illustrations are full of beautiful details and bright colors.
The stories are also beautiful. Readers may be familiar with a few stories, but the diversity of them means that most readers will find several they've never heard before. They may also enjoy that stories from places in the world they haven't learned a lot about have similar themes and empowering heroines no matter where they come from.
This is a wonderful anthology to have in a classroom to introduce students to stories from different cultures or to read aloud to children at bedtime.
One of the standout elements of this book are the stunning illustrations. They are gorgeous and the perfect complement to the stories. They help bring the cultures readers are less familiar with to life. The illustrations are full of beautiful details and bright colors.
The stories are also beautiful. Readers may be familiar with a few stories, but the diversity of them means that most readers will find several they've never heard before. They may also enjoy that stories from places in the world they haven't learned a lot about have similar themes and empowering heroines no matter where they come from.
This is a wonderful anthology to have in a classroom to introduce students to stories from different cultures or to read aloud to children at bedtime.