46. George's Marvelous Medicine

George's Marvelous Medicine
By Ronald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
Scholastic, 1981

Genre
Low Fantasy

Awards
None Known

Review
Prolific children's fiction writer Ronald Dahl shows children yet again that magic may be more than a thing in their imaginations.  When left alone with his grouch grandmother, George sets out to make her a medicine that will help her loosen up a bit (he reasons she needs a new medicine since the one she had been taking at length hasn't helped her).  Making a sickening concoction of random liquids and pills found in his home, including paint, hairspray, perfume, and animal medicine, George gives his grandmother the medicine and watches her reaction amused and slightly worried.  When his parents arrive home, his mother is worried about the grandmother (her mother), but the father just encourages George to make more of his concoction, seeing possible financial gain from how it effects the farm animals.  This funny, yet slightly disturbing story also has sketched illustrations to accompany the text, making the effects of the potion unmistakable.

Opinion
Compared to some of Dahl's previous work, like BFG, I found this book boring and was disturbed that when the grandmother simply shrunk until she disappeared that not even her daughter gave it more than a second thought.  As entertaining as the idea is of mixing household items to make potentially attitude-changing and money-making substances, I think it may be important for parents to address the idea that none of these chemicals being used in the book should be mixed or taken like this in real life.

Ideas
Since everything George uses in his mixture seems to have some kind of reasoning behind it, as small as it may be, it might be a fun project to have young readers make their own "potion", thinking of things they would mix together and what the desired effects would be.

23. Inkspell

Inkspell
By Cornelia Funke
Scholastic Inc., 2005
Narrated by Brendan Fraser

Genre
Low-Fantasy

Awards

• Best Sense Book of the Year: Children's Literature (2006)

Review

Meggie and Dustfinger's apprentence, Farid travel into the book Inkheart to find Dustfinger and warn him that Basta, a villainous man who loves to use knives and hates Dustfinger, had returned to Inkheart not long after Dustfinger himself.  A few days after Meggie disappeared into the book, her parents, Mo and Risa, were still heart-broken and thinking they've lost her forever.  They walk into their house only to find more old enemies that came from the pages of Inkheart.  Basta (who hadn’t returned yet), Mortola, and Orpheus had broken in, looking for Mo, Risa, and Meggie to exact revenge on for killing their old leader (also Mortola's son), Capricorn.  When Meggie is nowhere to be found, Mortola has Orpheus read all of them back into Inkheart where Mortola promptly shoots Mo with a gun brought with them from Mo's world.  Meanwhile, after warning Dustfinger, Meggie searches for the book's author, Fenolgio, who had come to live in the book himself, but soon discovers her parents were captured and are in the book and Mo is gravely wounded.  The rest of the story finds the small family trying to finally be reunited outside of captivity, and follows Farid as he tries to keep Dustfinger alive.  Fenolgio tries along the way to write beautiful words for Meggie to read and help him "fix" his story, but everything seemed to turn against his intentions, like a wish made to a genie that wasn't specific enough.  Funke did a wonderful job of trying to include readers whose first experience of the Inkworld is Inkspell by including character synopses at the beginning.  There is also a map for readers to follow the characters as they travel the vast and magical Inkworld, and small illustrations scattered throughout the book, presenting the characters and making the book itself seem as magical as the words in it.

Opinion

This is a great continuation to Inkheart, the first book in the series, but it can't quite stand on its own.  Many events are referenced from the first book, and not all of them are explained enough for those new to the series to be fully aware of the whole story.  A fairly easy read despite its thickness, Inkspell would be a great option for tweens who enjoy the adventure and magic often found in fantasy.

Ideas

Since this book was originally written in German and translated, this may be a good book for a display about popular books originating for foreign countries.  Many of the descriptions in the books are detailed enough to suggest that readers choose their favorite scene and attempt to illustrate it, like an illuminator would do in the book.

3. Wings

Wings
By Bill Brittain
HarperCollins Children's Books,1991

Genre
Low Fantasy

Honors

• ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (1999)

Review
Ian has been having severe back pain for quite a while, causing him to see the doctor frequently.  This is irritating to his mother, who is pulled away from her perfect daughter to take Ian to the physician.  Eventually, after many tests and x-rays, the doctor found the cause of Ian's pain -- he was growing wing! The news, and eventual eruption of the wings, turn Ian's world upside-down.  His politically ambitious father tried to hide Ian in the home, confining him to his room and keeping him from attending the start of his 8th grade year.  Eventually Ian threatens to tell all the reporters that have been hounding his parents about the wings if he wasn't allowed to go to school.  School is difficult, as his classmates consider him a "freak", despite his teacher's best efforts.  A girl who had been considered the "class freak" for having a 6th finger on her left hand befriends Ian and supports him as he learns how to use his wings.  While hiding away from reporters at his new friend's home, Ian learns to be brave and finds out why his parents act like they do.  In the end, he is faced with a tough decision: keep his wings, leaving him a "freak" forever, but knowing the freedom of flying, or have them removed, making him "normal" again, but forever grounded.  A simple book that addresses many common problems experience while growing up, even for children who don't grow wings.

Opinion
This book is a favorite of a friend's 6th grader, so I thought I would read it for this assignment.  I loved the plot and found the story to be very enjoyable.  The story progresses quickly, with the main character also developing quickly.  Most of the characters lacked depth, but the reader feels some sympathy for Ian's family situation.  When left to make a "grown up" decision at the end of the book, the reader know that which ever decision Ian makes will affect the rest of his life and can understand the pros and cons of each choice.

Ideas
This book is a unique way of telling the story about the "different" kid in class and is a great way for children to learn about teasing, as well as a little bit about open communication within a family.  They also learn about friendships and what really makes a good friend.