A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston - ADVISABLE

Johnston, E.K. A Thousand Nights, 336 pages.  Disney, October 2015.  

Langauge: G; Mature Content: G.  Violence: PG (final battle). 

A girl has put herself forward in a valiant effort to save her beautiful sister  and has be chosen to the be the next bride of Lo Melkhiin, the ruler of the desert who has had 100’s of brides before her who are almost always dead by morning.  When she wakes up alive the next morning, and again and again, for many days, she tries to figure out why she has been spared and starts having visions of her sister and signs of wondrous power.  She suspects, but is not positive that the real Lo Melkhiin has been possessed by a demon and she hopes that her copper colored magic will give her the strength she needs to save her family and her people.

This is a beautiful book that is an excellent riff on the original Arabian Nights.  The demon/supernatural subplot fits in seamlessly with the little gods worship of the native peoples.  I am afraid, though, that adults will love this more than the actual students will.

MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Cindy, Library Teacher