Fairy Realm #2: The Flower Fairies (Fairy Realm)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book for girls, 3 through 8 or so!
Review:
This book is the 2nd in the "Fairy Realm" series (the first being 'The Charm Bracelet'). I read this to my girls who are 5 and 7 and they both loved it! It's easy to follow, but has elements that really challenge kids' imaginations. Even my five-year-old spent time contemplating the goings-on in this book inbetween chapters.

In the first book, the heroine, "Jesse" must save the realm from a bad person. But in this book and the subsequent ones, the challenges are in Jesse having to rise to a particular challenge rather than defeat a "bad guy". In this story, it turns out, the folks in the realm are having problems because the Queen's pet Griffins are overzealous in their guard-dog responsibilities while the Queen is away travelling and Jesse must find a way to get them back on task, while simultaneously also working through one of her own problems (she can't dance, but has to do it in a school play).

The book is about 10 chapters long, each one will only take 10 minutes or less to read. It's probably written at a 3rd or 4th grade level so a young reader could read it themselves if they are up to grinding through 100 pages or so.

I personally don't think boys beyond 6 or 7 would be thrilled with this story, but this whole series is perfect for providing a young-girl hero/role-model for the young girl readers. And also, these stories do a very good-job of introducing fairy-tale and mythic elements that kids are going to encounter all through their lives in books and movies.

Overall, a great story and well worth reading for young girls.


Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Fantasy Novel for Middle Readers
Review: Young Jessie is now known as a hero in the Fairy Realm, thanks to her wonderful plan which saved the beautiful Realm from destruction by evil. In fact, she's so loved, and such a hero in Fairy Realm, that the young Flower Fairies want to dance with her. But Jessie can't dance, and that fact is beginning to worry her, as she's supposed to dance in her school play, in front of everyone. However, right now that's the least of her worries, for in the Fairy Realm, the pack of griffins who guard the Queen's treasure house are completely out of control, and destroying the Fairy Realm as she knows it. It's up to Jessie to try to save Fairy Realm before irreparable damage is done. But the worst has yet to come, for the young Flower Fairies have now followed Jessie out of the Realm and into her own world, and it's up to her to protect them from danger.

In this second installment in the FAIRY REALM series, Emily Rodda has brought back the heroic young Jessie, and placed her in a new situation and adventure that will have fans of the previous book in the series THE CHARM BRACELET, jumping for joy. THE FLOWER FAIRIES contains wonderful descriptions of the beautiful young flower fairies, and holds new magical dialogue that is an absolute pleasure to read. The black and white illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are also quite marvelous, and will add faces to each of the characters throughout the story. A must-have for anyone looking to read a delightful fantasy.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper