The Language of Spells

February 1, 2018

Gr 3-6-In the decades that Grisha was a teapot, the world almost forgot how to see magic. So when Grisha is restored to his proper dragon form, he finds himself called, along with all the remaining dragons, to Vienna by an unknown magic. Years pass, and he meets a uniquely magical girl named Maggie who struggles to fit into a human world where she has no friends except her eccentric poet father and has no memories of her long-dead mother. Through their powerful connection, Maggie becomes happy and Grisha soon remembers the fate of other dragons, those without golden eyes like his, and begins a quest with Maggie to wake them from a spell gone wrong. But magic, as shown by the dragons and magical cats who control them, requires sacrifice and giving up the thing most precious to you. Will Maggie be willing to save the unjustly punished dragons? This quiet and somewhat melancholy novel focuses more on the power of friendship than on fantasy, and reminds readers that there might be magic all around us, even if we cannot see it. It also is about finding one's purpose and place in the world. By calculation, Maggie is born in the 1990s, but the Vienna setting feels more like the early 19th century; this is an atmospheric and ethereal tale. Final art not seen. VERDICT An unexpected page-turner, this will appeal to readers who like emotional poignancy with their adventure.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 19, 2018
This slow-building, fantastical journey from Weyr (My Heartbeat) examines the effects of magic and mystery in a world where magic is waning. The story takes readers through some of the darkest times in world history, as seen from the perspectives of a dragon and an 11-year-old girl. At the end of WWII, Maggie is living an unconventional life in Vienna, Austria, with her widowed father. Grisha, a 140-year-old dragon, is one of the few magical beings left in the world. Grisha is pulled by a mysterious sound to Vienna, where he remains as a refugee in the city under tight control of soldiers and a megalomaniac magician. Drawn together by unusual circumstances, Maggie and Grisha form a tight friendship and, through their connection, work to free the world’s dragons from their cruel imprisonment. In dense, intriguing detail, Weyr integrates historical events into her fantastical storytelling, resulting in an affecting, melancholy story that asks intriguing questions about the costs of power. Ages 10–up. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from May 15, 2018
Set primarily in Vienna, this middle-grade novel explores themes of honor and courage as it tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and a dragon.Grisha, a dragon, was born in the Black Forest in 1803, a time when magic was still commonplace. When a powerful sorcerer's enchantment turns Grisha into a teapot, he can still see and hear, but he cannot move or speak. After many decades, which include the two human world wars, Grisha is freed and travels to Vienna, where he has heard that dragons are congregating--but soon after he arrives, many of the dragons mysteriously disappear. He meets 11-year-old Maggie, who lives in Vienna's Sacher Hotel with her poet father. Grisha is pleased and gratified that Maggie can see him since, by now, humans have become so busy and preoccupied that they no longer see what they don't wish to see, which includes dragons and magic in general--one of many equally graceful observations that amplify this delicate, original story into something much more than its plot. The two become friends and determine to find the missing dragons. Weyr's deft, assured narrative is interwoven with dry humor and percipient observations as it explores the value of seeing magic in one's life as well as the honor of sacrifice. Harnett's evocative black-and-white illustrations add atmospheric richness, depicting its human cast as white Europeans.Extraordinary--not to be missed. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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Starred review from April 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Weyr's lovely and lyrical middle-grade novel interjects modern history into a dragon story. It begins in Germany's Black Forest in 1803, when Grisha, a long-�awaited dragon baby, is born. It is a time, Weyr writes, when dragons and other magical beings were accepted as natural parts of the forest. But by the time Grisha meets Maggie in Vienna in the later twentieth century, two World Wars have been fought, no new dragons have been born, and the ones still living are mostly invisible and quarantined to the Austrian capital. Grisha?still young in dragon years?is a castle guide. Maggie, the 11-year-old daughter of a poet, is a rather solitary child who can see Grisha for what he is. When she and Grisha meet, they forge a special friendship. Maggie's curiosity leads Grisha to remember important parts of his past, and the two begin to unravel an ages-old mystery. But, as Grisha already knows, magic involves sacrifice, and Maggie must be willing to give something up. Weyr builds the fascinating story slowly, and her writing will appeal to children who enjoy the magisterial, fairy-tale quality. Its underlying focus?on things of importance that are hidden away when they disturb others?has contemporary resonance. Harnett's illustrations beautifully punctuate the tale; their roughly sketched texture and folkloric quality convey both tenderness and disquietude. An extraordinary piece on grace and, finally, love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)