Fablehaven

Kendra and Seth have to spend two weeks with their grandparents, who are a complete mystery since they almost never leave their home. When they arrive, Kendra and Seth discover that their grandparents' home is far from normal - it's a vast estate, with a huge mansion for a home, a housekeeper, a vast forest, and a swimming pool. Grandpa Sorenson has some rather strict rules in place, however, and some of these rules are just asking to be broken by the mischievous Seth. The more cautious Kendra, however, follows the set of clues left by her grandfather and makes a discovery. This is no ordinary estate. Grandpa Sorenson is the caretaker of a preserve for magical creatures. Kendra and Seth slowly learn more about the magical fairies and ingenious brownies who enhabit the preserve. Unfortunately, not all of the creatures found in Fablehaven are good, and on Midsummer's Eve Grandpa Sorenson is kidnapped by some imps looking for vengeance. It is up to Kendra and Seth to discover what happened to their grandfather and save Fablehaven from certain doom.

There is an awful lot of fantasy out there for kids to read, and this is one of my favorites. The story unfolds slowly and gently, and it takes quite a bit of time for Kendra and Seth to discover what Fablehaven really is. Yet this story's smooth pacing really reflects the way that children might actually make this sort of discovery - in stages with plenty of questions, rather than all at once with perfect understanding. The description found in this book is excellent and there are plenty of examples of vivid word choices that would make this book a lot of fun to read out loud.

Now that the story has been set up, it will be interesting to see where Kendra and Seth's adventures will take them next. Look for the next volumes in author Brandon Mull's delightful series, Rise of the Evening Star, Grip of the Shadow Plague, and Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

Overall Grade: A