Liesl & Po

When Liesl's beloved father dies, her stepmother locks her away in the attic. Her lonely existence is eased by the appearance of Po, a ghost, and his pet, Bundle. Meanwhile, Will, an alchemist's apprentice, accidentally switches deliveries one night, and mayhem ensues as the powers that be try to get the right box into the right hands. Jim Dale has a merry time narrating; listeners may well feel that "Uncle Jim" is telling them a rather dark bedtime story. Oliver paints gorgeous images with her language, and Dale at times sounds wonderstruck by the beauty of the tale. (He also performs terrific old-lady sneezes and delightful animal noises.) Smart children and fun-loving adults will devour this clever cracked fairy tale. G.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 29, 2011
The sun has not shined for 1,728 days and counting in YA author Oliver’s (Delirium) first book for middle-grade readers, a gloominess that underscores a plot in which adults seek personal gain at the expense of children. Classic fairy tale elements weave throughout this spirited, old-fashioned adventure: a young girl locked in an attic, a wicked stepmother, an alchemist, an orphan boy running from a cruel master. Add two nearly identical boxes—one containing the ashes of 11-year-old Liesl’s recently deceased father, the other holding “the Most Powerful Magic in the World”—and mix them up, and excitement begins to break through the bleakness. Po, a presence from “the Other Side,” brings Liesl a message to bury her father’s ashes underneath a certain willow tree, inspiring her to escape her imprisonment in her stepmother’s attic and head for the train. An exhilarating chase ensues, as characters pursue the runaway children and the mixed-up boxes. Invigorating and hopeful, this novel testifies to the power of friendship and generosity to conquer greed and depression. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from November 1, 2011

Gr 5-8-Liesl's father has died, and she has been locked in an attic by her cruel stepmother. To the attic comes Po, a ghost whose memory of whether it was a boy or a girl has faded in its time in the world beyond. Po meets Liesl's father on the Other Side and carries a message back: he would like his ashes to be buried next to his first wife so that he can move on. In the same town on one fateful night, the apothecary's apprentice, Will, has two errands. The first is to deliver a box containing magic that the apothecary has conjured at the commission of the powerful the Lady Premiere, magic the apothecary claims will bring the dead back to life. The second is to stop by the undertaker's for some magical ingredients. Unwittingly, Will swaps the box of magic with the one containing the ashes of Liesl's father. When the mix-up is discovered, he flees the wrath of the apothecary and the Lady Premiere. Meanwhile, with Po's help, Liesl finds an opportunity to escape the attic and her stepmother. Their paths and destinies converge in an entirely satisfying way, and the plot gains forward momentum through chance encounters and lives crossing paths. This fantasy is written with the gentle simplicity of a fable infused with a storyteller's wisdom. Acedera's black-and-white charcoal illustrations are soft, warm, and somewhat old-fashioned, adding a great deal to the charm and emotion of the story. This is a case in which the illustrations truly enhance the book and make it something more special than it otherwise would have been. A lovely tale.-Tim Wadham, Children's Literature Consultant, Fenton, MO

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011

A wonderfully imaginative, startlingly moving and at times wickedly funny fantasy.

In her first work for middle-grade readers, the versatile Oliver (Before I Fall, 2010, and Delirium, 2011) deftly creates two worlds that run parallel, "like two mirrors sitting face-to-face." On the "Living Side," the sun hasn't come out in 1,728 days, and Liesl (about 11) has been locked in a small attic bedroom for 13 months by her conniving stepmother, Augusta. Three nights after her beloved father dies, she is visited by a child-sized ghost named Po and Bundle, a ghost-pet, both of whom come from the "Other Side," where dead souls in various stages of "becoming part of the Everything" linger till they can go "Beyond." They become unlikely best friends, and Po helps Liesl escape so she can take her father's ashes home. Meanwhile... an egomaniacal alchemist whose specialty is potions and transfigurations has created "The Most Powerful Magic in the World" for the Very Important Lady Premiere. "The dead will rise / From glade to glen / And ancient will be young again." But the alchemist's mistreated apprentice Will, an orphan, mixes up the delivery and.... By alternating quietly lyrical, philosophical passages with laugh-out-loud broad comedy/farce, the author takes her readers on a fantastic voyage from loss to healing and joy. With nods to Dahl, Dickens, the Grimms and even Burnett, the author has made something truly original. Acedera's frequent black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement.

An irresistible read: This book sings. (Fantasy. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011
Grades 4-7 In this charming, insightful fantasy, Oliver's first for middle grades, characters converge thanks to an accidental mix-up between boxes, one holding an evil alchemist's greatest spellThe Most Powerful Magic in the Worldand one holding the ashes of a little girl's beloved father. Locked in the attic by her greedy stepmother, Liesl desperately mourns her father's death, but she has reason to hope when two ghosts, Po and Bundle, visit from the Other Side. After they deliver a message from her father, who wishes Liesl to bury him under the willow tree where her mother rests, they steal the box containing his ashes. On their journey, they meet Will, the alchemist's ill-used apprentice, who has been on the run ever since he misplaced the alchemist's spell, which could raise the dead and restore youth. This original fairy tale, told by a wise and humorous omniscient narrator and peopled with broadly drawn but instantly recognizable characters, avoids sentimentality to show the magic of accepting loss without letting go and finding joy in the lives left behind. Final illustrations not seen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)