Of Giants and Ice

happypug12 - I just read this book for the second time and it was even sweeter than the first time (mostly because I actually understood everything for the first time in forever). I don't usually read books twice but this book was special because it was one of my absolute top favorite book series PLUS this summer I'm planning on re-reading my favorite book series. AHEM and I also got the fourth book of this series BUT I read one page and I had forgotten who and what all the characters were so I'm just re-starting from the beginning. I don't regret my decision one bit, because the second I opened this book, Rory's life became as real as my own. She's such a relatable character who is very unlike some of the perfect characters in stories these days. You can actually connect with her and feel her embarrassment, anger, happiness, and you just have to laugh out loud when she snaps a witty comment back at Chase. I WOULD make a critique about how she believed in magic so seemingly quickly, but, hey, I guess being chased by a fire-breathing dragon, escaping giants with bug-spray, and almost dying by falling from a magic beanstalk will do that to ya. I will never understand why this isn't a New York Times bestseller, and I recommend this to ANYONE who loves adventure, fantasy, and all those other genres and such. Better end this review now before it turns into one of those monster reviews so long that nobody actually reads anything but the first sentence. Anyways, this book was amazing in every way and you should probably read it if you want a cool story in your life.

August 20, 2012
In the frothy launch of the Ever Afters series, sixth-grader Rory Landon receives much unwanted attention as a result of her divorced celebrity parents and her perpetual status as the new kid. But when she's recruited by the Ever After School, where no one knows her family and fairy tales are recreated, she feels like her life is beginning. Rory immediately establishes her capability by rescuing a girl from a dragon and meets characters like Rumpelstiltskin, the librarian; Hansel, the sword-fighting instructor; and Sleeping Beauty, the Director. Despite Rory's ominous dreams and the knowledge that tales can be "failed" (meaning people die), she embarks on a journey into "Jack and the Beanstalk" with two other "Characters-in-training": Lena, an aspiring inventor, and Chase, a cocky son of a legend. Bach's premise is entertaining, and her storytelling offers charming detailsâparticularly as the students tackle iconic obstacles (such as climbing the beanstalk). The laundry list of fairy tales and characters involved, though, results in an adventure that can feel cluttered. Ages 8â12. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary and Media.

September 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-When sixth-grader Rory attends Ever After School, she can finally stop "acting like a side character" in the lives of her famous movie-actress mother and director father. EAS, it turns out, is not a run-of-the-mill after-school program but a place filled with magic-dragons, talking fawns, and tables with never-ending food-and her new acquaintances are "characters-in-training" who, under the guidance of fairy-tale heavyweights (e.g., Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Rumplestiltskin), go off to fight giants, dragons, and the evil Snow Queen. When Rory's friend Lena chooses her and Chase (Rory's nemesis) to accompany her up the beanstalk to steal the giant's gold, they have no idea of the dangers they'll face or the demands the tale will impose. From getting trapped in a locked rolltop desk to fighting off wolves inside a glass mountain, the threesome meet every challenge head-on, narrowly escaping being captured (or eaten!), and returning triumphant, if a bit battle-scarred. Rory realizes that, even with her transient life, she'll remain part of EAS and be ready someday to vanquish the Snow Queen in a fairy tale that is uniquely hers. Readers will delight in fast-paced, detail-rich chapters. There's plenty of magic to intrigue Harry Potter fans and enough twists and turns to entice even reluctant readers. The relationships among the three strong protagonists develop believably, and the secondary characters have enough dimension to maintain interest. This debut novel is a light, fun look at fairy tales after the "happily ever after."-Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.