Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Without fail, when people find out that I review books, and that I particularly enjoy YA Fantasy, the first question they ask is, "Have you read Fablehaven?"

Until now, the answer was no. I know. Many of you are shocked. You might even stop reading my book review blog because 'how could I possibly NOT have read Fablehaven before now?'

Well, I have my excuses, but you don't really need to hear them, so let's get on with the review already.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

13 year old, Kendra, and her younger brother, Seth, are being shipped off to visit their grandparents, who they hardly know.

Before long, they discover that Grandma and Grandpa's house is much more than it seems. In the forest just past the yard, strange creatures roam.

It's Fablehaven...a preserve for mythical creatures like fairies, witches, trolls, you name it. Seth, who is always ready to explore and break the rules, leads Kendra into all sorts of troublesome adventures.

Fablehaven is the first book in an intensely popular fantasy series. The good news is that the fifth (and final) book was recently released, so if you are just getting into the series (like me), you won't have to wait for the sequels to come out.

Highly recommended for Harry Potter fans looking for another great fantasy series. I can't wait to get a hold of book 2.

For a review of Water Keep, the first book in another one of Brandon Mull's bestselling series, click here.

Gentle's Holler by Kerry Madden

Gentle’s Holler by Kerry Madden.

Review by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

Author Historical Fiction
HEALING WATER (Spring 2008)
BLUE (2006)-See the review here.
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER (1995)


Twelve year-old Livy Two lives a hardscrabble yet gentle existence. It’s gentle, because her large mostly happy family lives in slow-paced, beautiful Maggie Valley, NC. It’s hard, because Daddy doesn’t work a regular job. Daddy is a musician with a song in his pocket, a banjo in hand, and a plan to make it big one day. Since Livy Two writes lyrics also, she believes in her daddy’s dreams. And she has dreams of her own.

“…I want to see the world beyond the Smokies and I aim to bring my guitar with me when I do.

One day, I’d like to stroll along the Great Wall of China, ride me a camel in Egypt , swim in the Ganges River way over in India , and sip a cup of tea with the queen of England .”

Livy also dreams of helping her sister Gentle (whose eyes don’t work right) to learn Braille. Otherwise they might send Gentle to the school for the blind over in Raleigh . So with the help of the lady from the lending library truck, Livy Two gets a Braille book and begins to learn. Keeping the family together is a high priority for her!

But Daddy comes and goes on his quest to make it big. Mama is weary of his search for fame. She just wants him to feed his family. Grandma Horace with her glass eye (actually, a collection of them in different colors which she wears according to her mood) moves in to help out. And she’s is not the kind of grandmother who makes you feel better because she has arrived.

To make things worse Livy’s brother, Emmett gets fed up with daddy’s dreams and takes off for Ghost Town in the Sky to earn some money. Then tragedy strikes at another level, rearranging the family’s future even more dramatically.

And also leaving room for a sequel.

Fortunately, Gentle’s Holler (2005) is just the first in a trilogy that takes place during the 1960’s. Louisiana’s Song (2007) and Jessie’s Mountain (2008) continue the Weem’s family story. Author Kerry Madden infuses her stories with love of family and an at-home feeling for the Smoky Mountains . These books are populated with distinctive and quirky characters, unforgettable names, and much warmth. They are wholesome, funny, and heartwarming!

Visit Kerry on the web at http://www.kerrymadden.com/

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven (The Website)

By Brandon Mull

Shadow Mountain Publishing

Kendra eyes the set of keys her grandfather has handed her. She can’t wait to see what they will unlock but perhaps she should have not been so curious. The keys, curiosity and broken rules place Kendra and her brother in danger and force them to face the greatest challenge of their lives. Kendra and her brother Seth are not exactly thrilled to be spending several weeks with their grandparents while mom and dad go on a cruise. They hardly know their grandparents who turn out to be caretakers of mystical creatures gathered on a hidden refuge called Fablehaven. The sanctuary survives as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world.

Midsummer Night’s Eve turns their world upside down as they come face to face with jealous fairies, plotting witches, greedy trolls and mischievous satyrs. To save Fablehaven, her family and even the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears the most.

This first fantasy novel from Brandon Mull is a read that the entire family can enjoy. Imaginative and fast-paced action move the story along and readers won’t want to put it down. I connected with the characters and was drawn to a sister who always did the expected and a brother who always was adventure and trouble, which is like my family.

This book is a middle level read and appropriate for young people grades 4-8. Loyalty, courage and problem solving are great themes in this book. Watch for Mull’s second book, The Rise of the Evening Star.

Review by Leann Moody

www.dms.provo.edu/students/index.html

Interview with Brandon Mull of Fablehaven Fame!!!

Brandon Mull has worked as a comedian, a filing clerk, a patio installer, a movie promoter, a copywriter and briefly as a chicken stacker. For a couple of years, he lived in the Aracama Desert of Northern Chile, where he learned Spanish and juggling. He currently lives on the side of a mountain above a prison with his wife and two children.

He has two books: Fablehaven and Rise of the Evening Star, published by Shadow Mountain. Local author Brandon Mull recently visited Dixon Middle School in Provo as part of a book tour around the state and country. He talked with students about the power of imagination and reading. He also took time to answer some of their questions:

Question: How did you become a writer?

Brandon Mull: Fablehaven is the first book that was published but I have been working on it for a while. I was dreaming of it in high school and writing sincerely since college, which has been quite a few years already.

Question: Did you like writing as a kid?

Bandon Mull: I was one of those kids who kind of lived in his head. I was off in a fantasy world and then I read Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia and books like that as I was growing up. I saw that other people are off in their imaginations, too.

Question: You said you have worked in comedy. What did you do?

Brandon Mull: I became interested in comedy in college because there was a comedy troupe called Divine Comedy. I was having some success writing and performing comedy so branched off and did some stand up. I try to put some humor in my books.

Question: How many books will there be?

Brandon Mull: For sure there will be a least three books. There might be too much story there so it might have to stretch to an extra book.

Question: Where do your characters come from?

Brandon Mull: It has to come from human interaction and you give each character attributes of people that you know. So there’s a boy in the book named Seth, who’s one of the main characters and he has a lot of the same tendencies that my little brother and I had. When we lived in Connecticut we could explore the woods around our home. He’s sort of a daredevil. I also had an encounter in Chile with someone who professed to be a witch. This experience had a little bit of an influence on an encounter that happens in the book, but in a more fantasy way instead of in a real way.

Question: Your main character is a girl. How did you come up with her?

Brandon Mull: Kendra is the main character. She’s a girl who‘s a little more cautious than her brother and more responsible. A lot of the action in the book comes from their interplay, her being responsible and Seth always getting into trouble.

Question: What if I want to become a writer?

Brandon Mull: I would read a lot and write. Just keep writing and use your imagination.


Posted by Leann Moody
www.dms.provo.edu/students/index.html