Here’s a guest book review from author Christina Hamlett. Visit her website for more information about her work, www.authorhamlett.com.

Title: Mistress Masham’s Repose
Author: T.H. White
Publisher: New York Review Children’s Collection (2004)
Reviewer: Christina Hamlett

What a wonderful trek down memory lane! I owned a copy of this book when I was 10 and remember being so riveted by it that when it was time to go to bed I took the book under the covers with me and finished reading it by the light of my Girl Scout flashlight. (Which no doubt accounts for why I have such bad eyesight as an adult!) Since my own copy had been long gone, I was delighted to discover I could buy a replacement on Amazon. Instead of preceding this one with a cup of hot chocolate and finishing the last chapters by flashlight, however, I had a martini and happily stayed up until midnight. Time has not diminished in any way the satisfaction of a tale well told.

The story speaks to timeless themes about the powerlessness of children in the dreary world of rules imposed by adults. Is it any wonder, then, that the spunky heroine, Maria, delights in the colony of Lilliputians she discovers on the grounds of Malplaquet and sees a ready kinship with their dreams, fears and sense of righteous rebellion. Although she is not a perfect child, Maria is possessed of a kind heart that infuses her with bold – and sometimes comedic – determination to save her diminutive friends from harm. T.H. White seamlessly intercuts between the two worlds that Maria inhabits. It wasn’t until many years after I first read this book that I recognized striking parallels to the novel for which White is most famous – The Once and Future King. Maria shares much in common with the bewildered young King Arthur, including the “Merlin” mentorship of a bookish professor and a quest to keep an enchanted and special version of backyard Camelot from being absorbed by external vice and unabashed greed.

Although the book is targeted to lower grades, one would never know it from White’s style and engaging use of language. He would be the type, I think, who could hold lengthy discourses about the state of the world with a rapt gaggle of 10 year olds and they would never once think that he was talking down to them nor trying to impress them with philosophies beyond their vocabularies or frame of reference. Whether you’re discovering this literary treasure for the very first time or revisiting it after a long absence, it doesn’t fail to entertain or inspire.

Thirteen-year-old Zardi is the daughter of the Sultan’s closest adviser. She lives with her family and Rhidan, a ward of the state since he was found on their shores as a babe years ago. Rhidan doesn’t look like anyone else in their country, and he knows nothing about where he is from.

When the cruel Sultan imprisons Zardi’s sister and father she is desperate to find a way to free them and end the Sultan’s iron-fisted rule over her country. If she and Rhidan can find a sailor named Sinbad, who seems to know something about Rhidan’s origin and tells tales of fighting magical creatures, they just may be able to solve Rhidan’s mystery and get rid of the Sultan once and for all.

The Book of Wonders is the first in a new trilogy for young readers by Jasmine Richards. Drawing on Arabian legends of djinnis, Sinbad, Sheherazade, a Cyclops and other magical creatures, Richards weaves a tale of adventure that doesn’t stop from beginning to end.

Zardi is a strong character who refuses to accept the way things are and the strictures for how girls are supposed to act in her time. Together, she and Rhidan encounter one adventure after another as they race to save her family and find out where he comes from. Along the way they have to ponder big issues about deciding who to trust, making amends for wrongdoing, and finding out what it means to be a friend.

While the ending sets up the next adventure the two will tackle, it also is a satisfying conclusion to this story. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

If you like combining art and reading, then a new children’s book by Canadian artist Sparrow called Yummy from A to Z is sure to get your attention. For each letter of the alphabet, Sparrow has created a tasty character, with names such as Vivacious Vivian Vanilla Wafer and Kiki Key Lime Pie. Each of these tasty characters is drawn in a setting that emphasizes other items that begin with that letter as well. For instance, Yummy Yolanda Yogurt has adventures with a Yammering Yak and some yellow yarn among other things.

The illustrations have a beautiful, soft quality that comes from a technique Sparrow says she stumbled upon while creating a painting one day. Read more about the technique in a blog post she wrote about her discovery.

Parents can turn Yummy from A to Z into an interactive reading experience by downloading free coloring pages of the book from the website. Kids should have fun coloring  the characters they are hearing about, and since the coloring pages come as a PDF file to your computer, you can print more off each time you read the book. The book is available in both hard cover and soft cover editions as well as an ebook.

Ivy and Eldridge have become fast friends after their adventures in Ivy’s Ever After by Dawn Lairamore. Now they’re trying to enjoy themselves at Drusilla’s wedding when a giant beanstalk with vicious teeth for pods grows into the clouds, taking Drusilla’s pet goat with it.

In Ivy and the Meanstalk, the two set off to rescue Toadstool, only to discover a giantess who is intent on recovering her golden harp, stolen by Jack and whisked away generations ago. Largessa threatens to destroy the kingdom of Ardendale if Ivy and Eldridge don’t return the harp within a week.

This new story takes the princess and her friendly dragon on a journey across the sea to Jacktopia, where a big-headed Jack set himself up as ruler long ago. Every king in the land since then is intent on increasing his kingdom’s wealth and showing off an abundance of gold.

Ivy has her work cut out for her, but she’s got the assistance of Eldridge, Owen, and One-Oh-Three, an overprotected prince who wants to have a little more freedom. They work together to win what Ivy needs and what One-Oh-Three hopes for.

Ivy and the Meanstalk continues the fun from the first book with author Lairamore imagining the aftermath of Jack and Beanstalk. Instead of the hero he portrayed himself as, Jack is revealed as a less-than-ethical character who thought only of himself. Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12 will enjoy reading it as well as discussing some of the issues touched on, including how historical events may be viewed differently by various people affected, the ethics of stealing something to avert a tragedy, and the wisdom of seeking revenge on someone who had made you mad.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Take an unconventional princess, a shy and timid dragon, an evil prince as would-be rescuer, and a kingdom that sorely needs a dash of hope. Mix in an absent-minded, wayward fairy godmother, a few trolls, and a cute stable boy. Bring all the ingredients together in a tale called Ivy’s Ever After by Dawn Lairamore as a winning recipe for a novel that girls aged 8 to 12 will love.

Ivy’s mother died soon after Ivy was born, and her father has been a wisp of his former self since. No one knows where Ivy’s fairy godmother disappeared to after the tragedy, and Ivy herself has been raised as a free spirit, with few constraints and lacking training as a proper princess.

All that is set to change as Ivy’s 14^th birthday approaches. According to the terms of an ancient pact between humans and dragons, Ivy must go inside a tower guarded by a dragon until a worthy prince rescues her by slaying the dragon. Handsome but arrogant Prince Romil arrives early with the hope of being the one to win Ivy’s hand in marriage and become ruler of her small kingdom.

Ivy feels she must comply until she discovers Romil’s evil plot. Defying all conventions, she strikes up an alliance with her guard dragon, Eldridge, and the two set about rescuing her kingdom.

Ivy’s Ever After provides lots of fairy tale fun that will delight both girls and their moms while still giving them something to talk about. Issues to discuss include finding your strengths even when they go against the expectations of others, looking for innovative solutions to change something that doesn’t seem right, judging people on their actions instead of their appearance, and more.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

The new Rebel in a Dress series by Sylvia Branzei succeeds in showcasing women who have broken the boundaries of their times to achieve what they wanted. Illustrations by Melissa Sweet and historic photographs make each woman featured come alive in just a few pages.

I read two titles in the series: one that focuses on Cowgirls and the other about Adventurers. Biographical information is mixed with quotes from the women and those who knew them as well as notes about other events going on in the world at the time. I found it fascinating to discover that a Russian cosmonaut was the first woman in space in 1963. The first American woman in space, Sally Ride, didn’t go up until decades later. Tillie Baldwin created a stir when she wore bloomers instead of a skirt to compete in the rodeo in 1912.

Besides being interesting to read, Rebel in a Dress is a compelling look at how conventions and expectations for women have changed over the years. It seems laughable now to see that women were not allowed to be pilots in the U.S. in the early 1900s, but norms such as this severely affected the lives of women at the time. At a time when girls are mostly told that they can do and be anything they want, it’s informative for them to know just how far society has come for that message to get across.

Rebel in a Dress books would make good selections for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 and older.

Publisher Running Press Kids provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Today I’m thrilled to let you know about a new book that can help kids get excited about creating art, and I have one copy of it to give away to a reader. If you’d like to win, just leave a comment with something about art, whether it’s about what you like to create, or your favorite artists, or one of your favorite paintings. The giveaway is open until midnight (PDT), Monday, October 10. Entries from U.S. and Canadian addresses only please. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Elizabeth on winning.)

Here’s the review:

To inspire her own children to move away from the screen and get creative, professional artist Marion Deuchars put together art projects that would keep them engaged and challenged. Those projects evolved into a book that parents will cheer and kids everywhere will love: Let’s Make Some Great Art.

This oversized book is filled with activities that range from simple, like coloring in drawings, to more complicated, like making a mobile. Taken all together, the projects educate young artists aged eight and above about famous artists, the history of art, and different ways you can make your own art.

For example, one set of activities starts by talking about Alexander Calder, an American artist known for his mobiles and sculptures. The next page gives directions for coloring in a mobile in Calder’s style. The page after that gives instructions on how to make a mobile.

Basic concepts of art—line, color, perspective—are built into many of the ideas as are techniques that help kids learn to draw, such as crosshatching, creating patterns and using grids. Above all, kids are asked to use their imaginations and actively think about what they want to create.

Let’s Make Some Great Art will provide hours of fun for kids, and it’s likely that their parents will want to join in too. This book would also make a great gift for budding artists.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Taking over the world is easy. All you need are a few minions and lackeys, an evil robot army, and the right clothing. Oh, and you may want to be able to have to ability to actually destroy the world too. All these simple tips and more are included in Kenn Nesbitt’s new book, The Ultimate Top Secret Guide to Taking Over the World. Nesbitt has lots of great tips for kids who are searching for ways to become geniuses and mad scientists as well as to conquer secret agents. Ethan Long’s illustrations perfectly capture the diabolical nature of the suggestions, complete with evil laughs.

Kids will love this funny guide that includes blank pages at the back along with prompts on how to use them to keep “destruction notes.” My teenage daughter even liked reading this. She said it was a welcome relief to read something just for fun in addition to all the serious books she has to tackle for school. I recommend it for kids aged 8 to 12 or older depending on their sense of humor.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

In the 1920s, 58 dolls were sent as ambassadors of friendship from the children of Japan to the children of the United States. About three feet tall, these dolls had human hair and came dressed in kimonos and accompanied by accessories such as tea sets and parasols. The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson is the fictionalized story of one of them, Miss Kanagawa.

Miss Kanagawa takes her role as an ambassador seriously. Still, she is surprised to find a connection at times with the children she comes into contact with. Bunny feels neglected by her family and schoolmates, and her inclination is to lash out and steal glory for herself. Lois gets the chance of a lifetime when her great aunt offers to take her to the Chicago World’s Fair, and she must decide how to spend the precious quarter her dad has given her for the big day. Willie Mae is a mountain girl whose family struggles for food and survival. Yet books buoy her up, and she has a thirst for knowledge. Lucy’s father heads west from his ruined farm in Dust Bowl stricken Oklahoma. They face extreme hardship as they search for a new home. Mason is losing his beloved grandmother to Alzheimer’s, and he longs for the happier days they spent together.

Each child faces issues having to do with friendship and family struggles. In some way, each has to decide how to do the right thing. Times are hard during the Great Depression, and relationships are the one thing that can be counted on, even if those relationships are strained by outside pressures. Larson portrays the yearning that each character feels beautifully, and the places she chooses for the children to live helps paint a picture of what was happening across the country during the late 1920s, throughout the 1930s, and into the 1940s.

Passages that portray Miss Kanagawa’s thoughts didn’t work for me as well, but overall I think the The Friendship Doll is a memorable story that will give mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12 a lot to talk about.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Dini and her best friend Maddie love to watch movies from Bollywood. They memorize lines from songs and know all the situations that can be solved by their favorite actress, Dolly Singh. When Dini’s mom gets a grant to study at a clinic in southern India for two years, Dini is both upset and excited. She’s upset to leave Maddie and her home in Delaware. But she’s also excited that she’ll be closer to Bombay, as all the filmi people call Mumbai. Maybe she’ll even have a chance to meet her screen idol, Dolly!

Meanwhile, Dolly is having her own relationship crisis. As coincidence has it, she flees to the small town of Swapnagiri, where Dini’s family has moved, to take a break from her career. Can Dini find her and finally get to meet her?

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami is full of serendipitous connections. A dedicated postal worker, a diligent guard, a worried baker, a girl who can imitate all kinds of sounds, a noise-making electric car, and mischievous monkeys all weave into Dini’s story. This colorful cast of characters have roles that read like a Bollywood film, and soon Dini is trying to figure out how she can make a new friend while keeping her friendship with Maddie, solve Dolly’s problems and learn to be comfortable in her new surroundings.

Dini is a delightful character, and by the time the book ends you’ll want to orchestrate your own Bollywood film. I recommend The Grand Plan to Fix Everything for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 8 to 12. You may also want to check out the interview with author Uma Krishnaswami.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.