Never wish in the woods.
With one wish made in Willow Forest, Soli and Lucy are pulled into Faerieground—and into the middle of an ancient battle. In the faerie kingdom, an evil queen searches for her daughter while the palace crumbles. To save her best friend, Soli must find her hidden strength.
This is a story about friendship, growing up, and the power of wishes. This is a story about faeries and spells, queens and lost princesses, fireflies and four-leaf clovers. But mostly, this is a story about love. —Goodreads
First Line: Long ago, a kingdom was founded in Willow Forest...
What Others Are Saying: "These four stories will find a place in a middle or high school setting where very low level books are needed. There is excitement, adventure, magic, and a bit of romance. The series, written by Beth Bracken and Kay Fraser, is done well and will entertain those readers who might not otherwise be able to handle a lot of fantasy. Recommended." — Library Media Connection
"As an added bonus, the text allows for easy readability for individuals learning English as a second language, reluctant readers, or those with dyslexia. The books are accompanied by vivid pictures throughout, adding to the pleasant layout." —VOYA
Bloggers Weigh In:
"I found this world to be interesting and descriptive. The authors also did a beautiful job of capturing the angst and frustration of the early teen years." —Reading Lark
"I’d recommend Wish to anyone, young and old. Fairy lovers especially, or people who love fairy tale worlds will love this book!" —Caught Between The Pages
"This world created by Bracken and Sawyer is one in which, after reading, you would believe exists in your nearest forest. These tales are charming and leave you waiting for more. I would highly recommend them to the pre-teen girl for an afternoon of losing themselves in a lovely imaginary world." —Bookalicious
What I Thought: When I perused the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon I was disappointed that there were as many negative reviews as there were. Mainly, because I loved the book. The common thread throughout was that the readers wanted more, more character development, more words and more descriptions. All requirements of avid book lovers. This book wasn't written for them. This was designed as a hi-lo book, high interest but low reading level and for that it is perfect. See here for specifics. By creating simple text that doesn't fill the page, white space is abundant, a key attraction to reluctant readers. Add to that the incredible artwork and a poor reader with a sophisticated imagination can find enjoyment and satisfaction. It is a beautiful book that takes basic teen issues of friendship and identity without the reluctant reader getting lost in the details. I highly recommend this to libraries that serve those readers that English is a second language and those with reading challenges!
Facebook
Who: Beth Bracken is a children's book editor. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, Steve, and their son, Sam. When she's not reading, writing, or editing books, Beth spends most of her time knitting endlessly while watching reruns of old TV shows and drinking lots of tea. —Website
Kay Fraser is from Buenos Aires. She left home at eighteen and moved to North Dakota—basically the exact opposite of Argentina. These days, she designs books, writes, makes tea for her husband, and drives her daughters to their dance lessons. —Website
Odessa Sawyer is an illustrator from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She works mainly in digital mixed media, utilizing digital painting, photography, and traditional pen and ink. Odessa's work has graced book covers from many top publishing houses, and she has also done work for various film and television projects, posters, and album covers. Highly influenced by fantasy, fairy tales, fashion, and classic horror, Odessa's work celebrates a whimsical, dreamy, and vibrant quality. —Website
About The Authors:
WebsiteWho: Beth Bracken is a children's book editor. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, Steve, and their son, Sam. When she's not reading, writing, or editing books, Beth spends most of her time knitting endlessly while watching reruns of old TV shows and drinking lots of tea. —Website
Kay Fraser is from Buenos Aires. She left home at eighteen and moved to North Dakota—basically the exact opposite of Argentina. These days, she designs books, writes, makes tea for her husband, and drives her daughters to their dance lessons. —Website
I know, I know, I'm a week late for this review. Sometimes you just have to slow down, come up for air and hang out on the beach.
Things are much clearer now! LOL
Slowing down is a good good thing. Glad you did and that things are clearer now.
ReplyDeleteHave added this to the list to read. Thanks!
So true on the Goodread Reviews and keeping in mind who the book was written for...
Slowing down is always a good thing! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got a chance to clear your head! So important!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of this one before- but it sounds like the perfect book for its intended audience. So many kids needs books like this to get them reading and enjoying books. :)
~Jess
Thank you for this review.
ReplyDeleteReading all the negative reviews on amazon and such put me on the fence about this book. Now I'm more willing to give it a try.