About a Book - The Fledgling

Georgie Hall wishes she could fly. Everyone knows Georgie's kind of a dreamy girl, but no one expects she will actually get her wish when she befriends a wild goose stopping over with his flock. Georgie loves her Goose Prince, brings him presents, and the Goose Prince shows her how to fly. Flying is dangerous, though - especially when there are people in town like Mr. Preek who has his sight set on hunting Georgie's Goose Prince.

A Newbery Honor Book, Jane Langton's fantasty The Fledgling is a wonderful story for any day, and a perfect story for a day in fall.

About a Book - Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue is a captivating tale that weaves fantasy and reality together. It is the story of Bonnie, who runs away from home and her evil grandmother ("Grandbag") by way of a mysterious hot air balloon. The magical balloon ride lands her in another world which strangely parallels her own, only much more loving and beautiful. That is, until evil Grandmother Marvell enters the picture...

This is a strange and beautiful story. If you like fantasy or books with both fantastic and realistic elements (think: A Wrinkle in Time), try reading Midnight Blue. Miss Parry highly recommends!

Tuesday's Movie

While you're waiting for Prince Caspian to come out, you might want to check out the BBC's production of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this three disc series faitfully brings to life C.S. Lewis' classics. While these productions don't have the special effects of the Disney film, they have their own really special charm, with great acting and fabulous costumes and sets. If you're a big Narnia fan, you don't want to miss these.

Tuesday's Movie - Mirrormask

From the creative team of Neal Gaiman and Dave McKean (who brought us such books as Coraline and The Wolves in the Walls), comes Mirrormask, part live action, part animated, and a visually stunning, very far-out fantasy film.

Helena is a young girl being brought up in her family's traveling circus. After her mother falls mysteriously ill, Helena falls into a strange dreamscape filled with masked creatures, fish that swim through the air, and books that fly. With the help of her new friend Valentine, she embarks on a quest to save the white queen, who has fallen into a deep sleep while her kingdom is slowly being overtaken by the neighboring shadow land.

Recommended to general lovers of fantasy and those who are already fans of Neil Gaiman or Dave McKean, and the strange, dream-like atmospheres they create. If you like films like Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal, you also might want to check this out.

Rated PG.

About a Book - Wolf Brother

Wolf Brother, the first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series, is part wilderness survival story, part adventure, part fantasy. Torak lives in a prehistoric forest some 6,000 years ago, and his father (Fa) has just been killed by a bear posessed by an evil demon spirit who, if not stopped, will destroy the entire forest. Before Fa dies, Torak swears an oath to his father, which begins his journey to learn of his very unusual destiny. Torak receives an unlikely guide along the way - a wolf cub who has also lost his family to the bear. The fact that Torak and the wolf can speak to each other indicates Torak's mysterious destiny, and also the secrets of his past.

Wolf Brother is also a nominee for the 2009 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. If you like it, check out the sequels: Spirit Walker and Soul Eater. (There will be more to come!) This is a great series to suggest for fans of adventure stories and also fans of fantasy like Harry Potter.

Check out Wolf Brother today - in print or on audio cd!

About a Book - Gossamer

Have you ever wondered where dreams come from? In Gossamer, a fantasy novel by Lois Lowry, we enter the world of the dream-givers - tiny imaginary creatures who bestow dreams on humans. The dream-givers gather memories by touching everyday objects, and then weave these memories into dreams. Littlest One is a tiny and curious dream-giver, assigned to a home where a lonely woman and an abused boy are forging a friendship. Littlest One weaves dreams to bring them strength and healing, but must fight against the Sinisteeds, deranged dream-givers who bestow nightmares that bring fear and sadness.

If you like Lowry's other novels, including The Giver, you might enjoy this book, which was just announced as a nominee for the 2009 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award.

We also have this book in audio format!

About a Book - 100 Cupboards

Life seems ordinary enough in Henry, Kansas, where young Henry York has been sent to live with his Uncle Frank and Aunt Dotty. Ordinary enough, indeed - until the plaster in Henry's room begins to chip away and he discovers 100 cupboards hidden behind the wall; cupboards that are actually portals to other worlds. Henry, along with his cousin, Henrietta, secretly begin to learn the secrets of the cupboards, and Henry's true identity.

100 Cupboards, by N.D. Wilson, is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. Read it and you'll be waiting anxiously for the second volume to come out next year. We also have a great audio version of this story on cd - how do you like that?

Tuesday's Movie

Based off the book of the same name by Cornelia Funke, The Thief Lord is an adventure tale about two orphaned brothers who have run away to Venice, Italy, to escape from their cruel aunt and uncle. There, Prosper and Boniface are taken in by a mysterious boy known as the "Thief Lord" who leads a band of kids living in an abandoned movie theatre. In between dodging the bumbling detective who has been hired by the boys' relatives to find them, the children embark on a fantastic new adventure which involves a wooden wing and a carousel which can make the young old or the old young again.

This movie has fun and adventure, and really cool scenes of the beautiful city of Venice. Bonus: it also has a movie within a movie! (you'll see.)

You may want to read the book before you catch this flick!