Sunday, 15 July 2012

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Heroes Guide to Saving the Kingdom by Christopher Healy

July seems to be zipping by and along with it the days tween MMGM's! This week I am sharing the LOVE of:



From IndieBound.Org:


Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel, respectively, and yet, thanks to those lousy bards who wrote the tales, you likely know them only as Prince Charming. But all of this is about to change. Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, Liam, Frederic, Duncan, and Gustav stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it's up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.


Delight-filled storytelling. Marvelous and witty twist on fairytale princes as heroes to be. I was hooked from chapter one, Prince Charming Misplaces His Bride, in we meet the Frederic who used to have hero-ish aspirations until his father, the king, showed him the errors of his dreams and convinced Frederic he was actually a helpless fellow who needed to be protected from everything. Made me want to meet the other princes, that is for sure and with each page turn I found myself wishing I had a group I could be reading this aloud to--it has that kind of share appeal and read aloud magic. Read the book's description to your middle grade reader and hand them the book. They will not be disappointed and in many cases I think it will become a re-reading favourite. It was listed as one of the best books of summer by PW for good reason. Highly recommending this one too.


And finally, check out this interview. Learn what inspired the naming of the nameless princes and see how they evolved and how the author built his world for the book. AND...how a turnip can be the key to not the kingdom but...evil. Very cool stuff!



  

Author's Website


Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day, thanks for stopping by. More MMGMonday-ness can be found  on some of the following blogs. If you are not listed and are taking in part, please do let me know in the comments so I can add you.







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13 comments:

  1. Natalie Aguirre16 July 2012 at 03:54

    I've been hearing about this book. It sounds really good. I hope I get a chance to read it soon.

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    Replies
    1. Deb Marshall16 July 2012 at 04:41

      Hope you do too, Natalie...already looking forward to the sequel!

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  2. Andrea Mack16 July 2012 at 03:56

    Thanks for the video link! I am definitely going to have to look for this book.

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  3. Barbara Watson16 July 2012 at 06:49

    I, too, have heard much about this book and MUST check it out!

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  4. DMS16 July 2012 at 11:53

    I have to read this book- soon! I love fairy tales and this just sounds like something I will dive into. I love that it hooked you from the start. Great review!
    ~Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

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  5. Angelina C. Hansen16 July 2012 at 12:42

    This looks like a really fun read. Thanks for recommending it, Deb! BTW , GF is now in the hands of my agent. ^_^

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  6. Kim Aippersbach16 July 2012 at 15:25

    I'm halfway through this one, and I agree that it's quite funny and enjoyable. It's one of those books that seems to go on for longer than it needs to, however. I'd be curious to know if middle-grade readers are put off by its length. 435 pages seems a lot for that age-group.

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    Replies
    1. Deb Marshall17 July 2012 at 08:15

      Depends on the child, I'd say. For some it would be too long, but for others not so much. Usually what I would do is base the recommend on what I know the kiddo has already read or is capable of and interested in reading. Some of the kids in my previous book club would finish this in a night. Sigh. I remember those days I used to be able to stay awake, lol!

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  7. Joanne Fritz16 July 2012 at 15:55

    Gosh, one of these days, I really must read this book. I keep seeing reviews of it! But I hadn't seen his video interview before. Thanks, Deb!

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  8. Jennifer Rumberger20 July 2012 at 09:35

    I have seen this book around and it keeps saying "Read me, read me." I might have to move it up the to-read list! :)

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