In this fairy-tale whodunit, country girl Elodie's parents scrounge up fare to send her to the city of Two Castles, with instructions to find a weaver willing to take her on gratis for a 10-year apprenticeship. (Elodie, intent on joining a theatrical troupe, has other ideas.) Alas, months earlier the guilds abolished 10-year apprenticeships; now everyone must pay, and Elodie's one copper is stolen (by a cat) the moment she draws it from her purse. With no other prospects, she takes the only job she is offered: assistant to the dragon Meenore, who, in addition to its skills as mobile water heater, has a sideline as local detective. Elodie must overcome her fear of being eaten to help Meenore save another hated local—Count Jonty Um, the ogre who occupies one of the town's two castles. With a faint echo of Puss in Boots, Carson crafts a persuasive fantasy realm and a capable heroine. Readers should enjoy watching Elodie hone her powers of deduction to unravel the mystery of the ogre's sudden disappearance, and will likely anticipate further sleuthing adventures with this companionable duo. Ages 8–12. (May)
A thoroughly delicious romp from the author of Ella Enchanted. The plot is winningly unpredictable, the characters easy to relate to, the humor subtle and the action well-paced. Newbery Honor-winner Levine has once again breathed new life into old stories.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Readers are certain to be pulled, like Elodie herself, right into the midst of the rich and swirling life of Two Castles.” — School Library Journal
“Levine’s strength lies in her transparent language and the candid, uncomplicated voice of her narrator, who brings younger readers along with her as she questions assumptions, grows in friendship, works out the mystery, and makes brave escapes.” — The Horn Book
“With a faint echo of Puss in Boots, [Levine] crafts a persuasive fantasy realm and a capable heroine. Readers should enjoy watching Elodie hone her powers of deduction to unravel the mystery of the ogre’s sudden disappearance, and will likely anticipate further sleuthing adventures with this companionable duo.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Ever: “The power of love and courage to overcome seemingly impossible odds and to bridge ostensibly untraversable differences are at the heart of this compelling, intensely satisfying fantasy.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for Ever: “Levine’s (Ella Enchanted) original mythological tale works as romance, adventure and exploration of faith. [She] conducts a riveting journey, offering passion and profound pondering along the way.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Ever: “An action-packed love story set in an elaborate, challenging world, this richly imagined story will engage fantasy and romance readers alike.” — Booklist
Praise for Ever: “The striking beauty of the Mediterranean-like landscape sets the stage for heroic quests and romantic picnics, adding atmosphere to this compelling tale.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for Ever: “Strong and good.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Fairest: “Readers will instantly fall in love with the heroine, whose heart proves to be as warm as her voice.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Fairest: “Readers will enjoy the fairy-tale setting while identifying with the real-life problems of living in an appearance obsessed society. A distinguished addition to any collection.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for Fairest: “[Readers will] sink into the fairy-tale romance, the remarkable characters, and the wild, magical adventures.” — ALA Booklist
Praise for Fairest: “A song-filled, fast-paced fairy tale.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Ella Enchanted: “This refreshing take on one of the world’s most popular fairy tales preserves the spirit of the original but adds plenty of humorous twists and a spunky, intelligent female lead.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for Ella Enchanted: “A thoroughly enchanting novel that deepens and enriches the original tale.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for Ella Enchanted: “As finely designed as a tapestry, with a heroine so spirited that she wins readers’ hearts.” — Booklist (starred review)
Praise for Ever: “An action-packed love story set in an elaborate, challenging world, this richly imagined story will engage fantasy and romance readers alike.
Levine’s strength lies in her transparent language and the candid, uncomplicated voice of her narrator, who brings younger readers along with her as she questions assumptions, grows in friendship, works out the mystery, and makes brave escapes.
Praise for Ever: “The striking beauty of the Mediterranean-like landscape sets the stage for heroic quests and romantic picnics, adding atmosphere to this compelling tale.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for Ella Enchanted: “As finely designed as a tapestry, with a heroine so spirited that she wins readers’ hearts.
Booklist (starred review)
Praise for Fairest: “[Readers will] sink into the fairy-tale romance, the remarkable characters, and the wild, magical adventures.
Praise for Ever: “The striking beauty of the Mediterranean-like landscape sets the stage for heroic quests and romantic picnics, adding atmosphere to this compelling tale.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Praise for Ever: “An action-packed love story set in an elaborate, challenging world, this richly imagined story will engage fantasy and romance readers alike.
Gr 5–8—When 12-year-old Elodie leaves her family farm for the capital city of Two Castles, she intends to apprentice herself to a mansioner, as actors are called. However, as she has no money for an apprenticeship, she goes to work for a clever if cantankerous dragon named Meenore, who instructs her in solving mysteries using induction, deduction, and common sense. Elodie's first big case is to try to figure out who is stealing from and threatening the life of the town's ogre, Count Jonty Um. There are so many suspects, and no one is quite the individual he or she seems; it takes all of Elodie's new skills to keep the Count—and herself—from harm. Although warned about dragons and ogres, Meenore and Jonty Um become Elodie's closest friends. Meenore, whose gender is unknown and so must be referred to as IT, is prickly but steadfast, and shy Jonty Um is hugely troubled by how much everyone hates and fears him. Other characters, such as the gorgeous cat trainer Count Thiel and the dithering Princess Renn, are also fascinatingly unpredictable. Elodie, luckily, is sensible and reliable through and through (if inclined to the dramatic side of life). Readers are certain to be pulled, like Elodie herself, right into the midst of the rich and swirling life of Two Castles.—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Sarah Coomes plunges listeners into the uncertain world of 12-year-old Elodie. She voyages from her small island to seek employment and an acting career in the curious town of Two Castles, where danger lurks around every corner. Listeners will savor Coomes’s portrayals of the town’s strange inhabitants—a sleuthing dragon master, a shape-shifting ogre, a greedy king and his silly daughter, and clever thieving cats. Soon Elodie must escape imprisonment and poisoning and unmask a clever villain while determining who is friend and who is foe. Coomes engages listeners in the action-packed plot and energetic language. She clearly portrays Elodie’s growing intellect as she works out the realities of the fantastical kingdom. S.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
A thoroughly delicious romp from the author of Ella Enchanted (1997). Before Lodie leaves the island of Lahnt, her mother warns her to beware ogres, dragons and "the whited sepulcher" (a villain who appears virtuous) in the big town of Two Castles; she inevitably meets all three, encountering danger and friendship where least expected. Lodie's parents send her away to become a weaver, but the girl plans to become a "mansioner" (actor), like her brother Albin. When she cannot secure a free apprenticeship, she finds herself working for the enigmatic dragon Masteress Meenore, a food vendor and amateur detective.Lodie soon employs her imitative and observational mansioning skills—and Meenore's lessons in "deduction, induction, and common sense"—to investigate thefts and threats at ogre Count Jonty Um's royalty-crowded castle. When local prejudices and political intrigue throw the court into an uproar, Lodie must solve the many mysteries or face execution. Fairy tales and classic myths are cleverly woven into the story, but the gritty medieval conditions—poverty, hunger, lice and cruel nobles—provide the dramatic tension and realistic motivation for the adventurous and intelligent Lodie. The plot is winningly unpredictable, the characters easy to relate to, the humor subtle and the action well-paced. Newbery Honor–winner Levine has once again breathed new life into old stories. (Fantasy. 9-12)
