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Fanciful Books
for Autumn Dreams
By Holly E. Newton
Each year, October brings fanciful costumes
and fantasy. Here is a list of some outstanding fantasy books that
will surely draw out your whimsical imaginings. They also beg to
be read aloud and are perfect for ages nine through adult.
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Peter and the Shadow Thieves, by Dave
Barry and Ridley Pearson, is the incredible sequel to the exciting
Peter and the Starcatchers. It seems that I’m always
hesitant with a continuation story because I’m doubtful that
it can be as good as the original. But just as in the Harry Potter
series, this book is no disappointment!
Peter is about to meet a sinister and
very frightening Lord Ombra. He is searching for the magical starstuff
that can make you fly and keep you young, along with other enchantments.
Lord Ombra discovers that the search will now take him from Neverland
to London where Peter’s friend, Molly, lives. Peter now has
to leave his safe haven with Tinkerbell in order to alert and protect
Molly from this evil being.
If Lord Ombra can touch a shadow, he
cannot only take it, but also take over that person. The adventure
is about to go into high gear as Peter finds that he is vulnerable
to Lord Ombra, and that the race to Molly is heightened. Here is
a fast-paced story with complex characters, thrilling adventures
and nail-biting anticipation of the upcoming dilemmas!
Hugo Pepper, by Paul Stewart, is another
wonderful fantasy from the popular fantasy series of Far-Flung
Adventures. Hugo is a 10-year-old living in the far north,
who lives with his adopted reindeer herding parents. His parents
died soon after coming to this cold and frozen tundra when he was
just a baby. He decides to go back to his birth home and learn more
about his parents. But what he discovers, along with the many new
friends and exciting adventures, will make this book one that you
and your child will not want to put down!
There are mermaid sisters, flying carpets,
cloud sheep that float lightly in the air and much, much more! Chris
Riddell is one of my favorite illustrators because of his ability
to portray people and animals with amusement and interest. His wonderful
back and white etchings are sprinkled throughout the story. Also,
Hugo’s adventures are detailed in a fold-out map creatively
placed inside the jacket.
Click to Buy
 Into
The Woods, by Lyn Gardner, and wonderfully illustrated
with pictures throughout by Mini Grey, is a great compilation of
many traditional fairytales woven into one wonderful fantasy adventure.
Three orphan sisters have to run from their home and into the woods
as the sinister Dr. DeWilde attempts to steal their precious tin
musical pipe. Rats are overrunning the townspeople and they hired
Dr. DeWilde to rid their town of these filthy pests.
But there is a price to be paid by
having this evil man do their bidding. And the pipe holds the secret
that the sisters have yet to discover. There are remnants of “Hansel
and Gretel,” “Rapunzel,” and “The Pied Piper
of Hamlin,” as well as several other recognizable characters
brought out during the story. The adventure is exciting and the
protagonists are well portrayed, making this a great read!
Click to Buy
The Alchemyst: The
Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel,
by Michael Scott, is another excellent adventure that sets a fast
pace in the very first chapter. Fifteen-year-old twins, Josh and
Sophie, are working across the street from each other, when Sophie
notices a black limousine pull up in front of the bookstore where
Josh is working. When strange looking characters get out and head
into the store, she begins to wonder what is going on inside.
She immediately knows something is very
wrong when an explosion inside the store blows out windows and the
men kidnap the owner's wife. The kids, along with the owner, are
now on the run for their lives and in search for his wife. The twins
soon discover that the owner is the immortal Nicholas Flamel, who
has been alive for several hundred years. The kidnapper is attempting
to steal the book to learn of immortality and doom the lives of
all on earth. Most of what I just explained sets the stage for this
exciting page-turner and this is just the first few chapters! The
author has blended his unique creativity with rich folklore of his
native Ireland.
Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale,
is most likely going to be one of my favorite books of the year!
This is the perfect book for all girls, ages 10 through adult, who
like an adventure set in a love story. This one just also happens
to be a fantasy, but don’t let that mislead you because the
story is so well written and woven together that you’re never
quite sure where it’s going to end up. But when you finally
read the conclusion, which you may just stay up all night to read,
it’s pure perfection. Only an author who is so good at weaving
and spinning a tale rich in characters, adventure and love can pull
it off. Hale continues to do so in every wonderful book she’s
ever written!
E. D. Baker has masterly written five
books about The Tales of the Frog Princess.
A few years ago, I reviewed the first two — The
Frog Princess and Dragon’s Breath.
Recently I’ve read her other three books in this series, and
they are just as good as her first two books. No Place
for Magic shows Emma’s high intelligence when
she must use her brains instead of magic to get her out of a big
predicament. Once Upon a Curse displays
Emma’s courage when she has to figure out how to banish a
spell placed on all of the women in her family. And the newest edition,
The Salamander Spell, actually sets the
stage for all of the books. It is a prequel, and helps show the
terrible spell that makes those good family members stop being good
and turn very bad. All five books are delightful, entertaining,
and don’t necessarily need to be read in order to be enjoyed.
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