Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Schlitz - ESSENTIAL


Schlitz, Laura Amy Splendors and Glooms, 384 pgs. Candlewick Press, 2012. $17.99 Language PG (2 swears no “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence PG.  

Lizzie Rose and Parcefall work for Gaspar Grisini, an Italian puppeteer plying his trade on the streets of Victorian London. Grisini is not only a mean guardian, he is also an evil magician who turns Clara, daughter of a rich physician, into a marionette to hide her until he collects a ransom.  When Grisini disappears and the children find a letter from a witch, they take the puppets and go in search of their fortune.  

This Newbery Honor book is a gripping tale combining the hard life of children from the workhouse with just enough magic to make it exciting, scary and dangerous.  A bit gritty in a couple of violent moments, but not graphic or disturbing. 

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.  Lisa Librarian

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