Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Red by Liesl Shurtliff -- ADVISABLE

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff. Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. $16.99

Language: G (No swears); Mature Content: PG (discussions of death and of the meaning of life); Violence: PG (some description of fighting villains)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS/HS -- ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Red is terrified of her own magic. It has messed up too many times, and once nearly killed her dear grandmother. So when said grandmother falls ill several years later, Red isn't about to do magic of her own to fix her. No. She needs to find someone else's. But the journey isn't easy, even as she picks up new friends along the way.

This was an enjoyable retelling of the Red Riding Hood story. I loved how Shurtliff twisted not only this traditional story, but several others as well. In addition, I also found the themes of wrestling with the purpose of life and death fascinating.

Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

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