King of the Shadows

When the Volnick family accidentally brings a Boggart home to Toronto from Scotland, the results are tumultuous and very funny. It’s up to Jess and Emily to figure out how to return the rascally spirit. The family meets the Boggart again on another visit to Scotland with similar outrageous results (which include a renowned water creature) in The Boggart & the Monster (opens in a new window). Both books are steeped in the magic and traditions of the region in which they are set.

Until it strikes uncomfortably close to home, three English boys are fascinated by the war and the bombing of their city, London. Derek and his friends come to understand true fear and the meaning of war in this realistic novel that explores themes of friendship, fear, and retaliation.

Boy is transported to the Land of Story when the Magician’s Saint George puppet disappears. There Boy meets well known characters from traditional tales, demonstrates great bravery, and gains a real name. Gentle humor and familiar characters are hallmarks of this fantasy for younger readers.

While on holiday, the Drew children Barney, Simon, and Jane find a map in a hidden room in the Cornwall house, involving them and their great uncle, Merry, in a struggle between good and evil steeped in Arthurian legend. The first in the Dark is Rising sequence, the entire series exudes a strong sense of place and traditional tales. (The sequence continues with The Dark is Rising (opens in a new window) followed by Greenwitch (opens in a new window), The Grey King (opens in a new window), and concludes with Silver on the Tree (opens in a new window).

While on vacation in an English village by the sea, Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew, the protagonists of Over Sea, Under Stone, begin a quest to retrieve a relic from King Arthur’s time. Different characters join their quest through The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, and the Newbery Award winning The Grey King, until the Drew children, Will Stanton, and Bran Davies defeat the forces of the Dark in the exciting conclusion of the series, Silver on the Tree.

This celebration of winter solstice blends imagery from the long-ago revelries of northern Europeans with modern-day observations and global traditions. As the sun set on the shortest day of the year, early people would gather to prepare for the long night ahead. They built fires and lit candles and played music, bringing their own light to the darkness. This is a tale of hope, anticipation, love, and joy.

Huw’s family’s good fortune changes for the better when the silver cow falls in love with music from Huw’s harp; it changes again, however, because of his father’s interminable greed. The Welsh countryside comes to life in soft, evocative watercolor illustration and a rhythmic retelling of a traditional tale.

A sterling storyteller and wonderful writer with a word-spinning pen turn Captain Rottingbones and his word-pilfering pirates into fantabulous farmers. Lush language and humorous illustrations capture the zany story which demands to be shared aloud. This is a fitting homage to this creative team’s friend (author and storyteller Margaret Mahy) and may lead readers to find additional tales.

Eleven year old Molly is homesick when her family moves to Connecticut from London. But a book entitled The Life of Nelson connects Molly to her home and to 11-year old Sam, a boy pressed into service in the English navy as an aide to Admiral Nelson during war. Told in two distinct voices, past and present gradually come together bringing both into clear focus.