Long Live the Queen

November 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Twelve-year-old Elspeth Pule lives in two worlds: our ordinary world, called the Deadlands, and the land of nursery rhymes, called New Winkieland. Swallow quickly brings new readers up to speed in this sequel to Blue in the Face, and Elspeth is called back to New Winkieland to help in an emergency. The Queen, Elspeth's old doll who came to life in Winkieland, has been kidnapped by evil witch Mary Mary Quite Contrary. Elspeth; her real parents, Jack and Jill; pals Humpty and Bo Peep; and others must rescue the Queen and keep the kingdom from falling into chaos. The classic reluctant hero proves up to the task when her friends are in trouble, and shows herself to be someone on whom the kingdom can rely. The author ends most chapters with a twisted, sometimes gross, but always hilarious version of familiar nursery rhymes. The world-building of New Winkieland is imaginative and tongue-in-cheek. Kids will enjoy recognizing well-known nursery characters in these warped forms. VERDICT Give this dark and funny novel to fans of fractured fairy tales such as Adam Gidwitz's "The Sisters Grimm."-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
In this sequel to Blue in the Face (2016), 12-year-old, white Elspeth returns to the parallel world of New Winkieland.After ousting despotic King Krool and restoring Wee Willie Winkie to New Winkieland's throne, Elspeth finds life in the real world with her adoptive parents "drab and predictable." When Georgie Porgie unexpectedly emerges through the portal in her bedroom, begging her to return to New Winkieland, Elspeth can't resist. Back where nursery-rhyme characters are real, Elspeth learns Mary Mary Quite Contrary's holding Queen Farrah captive in the treacherous Thick and demanding a huge ransom the king cannot pay. Elspeth reluctantly makes a deal with imprisoned Krool, who promises the ransom money in exchange for a pardon. Can Krool be trusted? Will Elspeth and her nursery-rhyme cohorts survive the Thick and find Farrah in time? Must Elspeth choose between her adoptive parents and her biological parents, Jack and Jill? Beneath the veneer of preciosity, a smart story can be found. A rambunctious cast of irreverent nursery-rhyme characters who don't quite fit their traditional roles, a liberal dose of twisted rewritten nursery rhymes, and lively cartoon art add witty dimension to Elspeth's harrowing second adventure as she straddles two worlds. Clever, humorous sequel with a "take-charge, kick-butt" heroine. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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