Mary Casanova

When a terrible drought grips the land, even skilled hunter Hai Li Bu has difficulty finding game, and the people of his village soon grow gaunt and quarrelsome. Rescuing a small pearly snake - really the daughter of The Dragon King of the Sea - from a crane one day, the hunter is given his choice of a reward. Determined to help his people by becoming a better hunter, Hai Li Bu asks to understand the language of the animals, and his wish is granted, on one condition: he must never reveal show more this ability, or he will be turned to stone. Everything goes well, until the day he learns of a dangerous flood that could wipe out the village, and cannot convince the people to flee, without explaining the source of his knowledge. Will Hai Li Bu save himself, or the villagers...?

A poignant story of an honorable man confronted with a difficult choice - originally told to the author by a visiting exchange student from China - The Hunter is a striking example of the power of folklore, both to teach and to provoke reflection, in the listener/reader. A meditation on duty and self-sacrifice, it teaches gratitude for the sacrifices others make for us, and also forces us to consider how we would have chosen, were we in Hai Li Bu's place. The pastel and gouache artwork of Ed Young - awarded a Caldecott Medal for Lon Po Po - are delicate and appealing, fitting the tale perfectly. Highly recommended to all folklore lovers! show less

Frozen by Mary Casanova is set in northern Minnesota during the 1920's. Sixteen year old Sadie Rose has been unable to speak since her mother's death over 11 years ago. At that time, she was taken in and has been raised by the Worthington's. Mr. Worthington is now a senator and Sadie Rose feels the pressure placed on her to behave and act like a well-mannered daughter, although they never have adopted her. When Sadie Rose finds pictures of her mother it unlocks memories she didn't realize show more she had and helps Sadie find her voice again.

Frozen is a historical fiction YA novel. Casanova does a nice job with the setting and the incorporation of historical and social details of that time. Interestingly, the author, Mary Casanova, wrote the McKenna stories for the American Girls series. Obviously, this helps explain part of the care she has taken with establishing the historical time and place.

The plot itself wobbles a bit. Amid a myriad of social issues, Sadie Rose finds her voice with surprising quickness and ease before she asserts her individuality and sets off in a surprisingly bold, self-assured manner. Beyond Sadie Rose, all the other characters in the novel are not fully realized figures and they end up being reduced to caricatures.

It is written to target 13-17 year old girls, although I would say it hits the mark closer to the younger 13 or 14 year old reader. This age group may accept and appreciate Sadie Rose's sudden transformation to a talkative, adventurous young woman more easily than a more sophisticated teen. Older teens and adults are surely going to feel as I did - Sadie Rose's abrupt transformation and the rapid recovery of her ability to speak, after not speaking for 11 years, was too sudden and came too easily to be believable.

This is a quick read and basically enjoyable. Recommended

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes. show less

The synopsis pretty much says it all, but Frozen is a gorgeously written historical fiction novel. One that quickly drew me in and kept me immersed. It takes a lot for me to really get into historical fiction normally. I'm the girl who adores quick moving plots and witty heroines. However Mary Casanova's story drew me in for much different reasons, and it was utterly refreshing.

Sadie Rose is quite the protagonist. My favorite part about her was her spirit. When the book starts, Sadie Rose is show more just finding her voice. This sets in motion a series of events that lead her towards finding out who she truly is. What the reader finds is a girl who has been stifled in her growth. Missing part of her past, and constantly being told what her future will be, Sadie Rose feels like her life is going nowhere. I loved watching her grow into her own, slowly discovering how to be independent. She is a pretty brave girl, especially in the 1920's!

That being said, the rich setting of this book is also one of the reasons that I enjoyed it so much. To Sadie Rose, Rainy Lake is a small and pretty drab town. However to me, the reader, it was a place of possibility. It was fascinating to see people going about their daily lives in this time period. The divide between rich and poor. The political issues of the day. This isn't just a story about a girl finding herself, it's also an opportunity to see the beginning of a great era.

My one qualm with this book, and honestly it's a small one, is that it is rather slow at parts. The mystery surrounding Rainy Lake and Sadie Rose's past keeps things flowing pretty well. However there were points where the descriptions were a bit lengthy, and slowed things down. It didn't hamper my overall enjoyment of the story however. Those who read historical fiction often will know that descriptive writing is part and parcel to the genre.

I sincerely enjoyed Frozen as a whole, and am very glad that I took the time to read it! As I said, this isn't usually my genre of choice. That's what I'm all the more ecstatic to be able to say that I truly enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of historical fiction, give Frozen a place on your reading list. show less

The wonder of nature mixes with calmness and lovely scenes to invite into the world of dreams.

From the very first page, this book sinks into nature's calming atmosphere and showcases an adult and child as they wander through the hills and forests. They spy bears, lakes, and more, always watching the life and world around them. As they progress on their journey, each moment is accompanied by a section of a lyrical lullaby to make this a lovely, bedtime read.

The illustrations are created in show more watercolor with a tissue paper like overlapping to give everything a gentle feel. Yet, each scene is brought across clearly and simply to fit the age group. Especially animal fans will enjoy the various, forest creatures as they make their appearance, one by one. The text flows right along. It swirls around various details of the life found in the forest, while sticking to wording which is very fitting to the intended age group. The phrases are short and flow smoothly to create a nice read-aloud. Plus, there's a sense of parent-child warmth to snuggle up with and offer security.

Fans of nature, animals, and simply those, who enjoy discovering the world around them, are sure to enjoy this lovely, bedtime read. show less