Tackling Funke's (The Thief Lord) meaty, intricately plotted tale of magic and books, Redgrave colors her reading with appropriately varying degrees of suspense, revelation and drama. Twelve-year-old Meggie, a self-proclaimed bookworm, finds it odd that her bookbinder father, Mo, has never read aloud to her. But when a mysterious man named Dustfinger appears in the rainy shadows of the garden one night, Meggie begins to unravel the secret her father has kept all her life: when Mo reads aloud from books, the characters come to life and appear before him. This magical power proves dangerous, as characters from a certain book-Inkheart-are on the loose and after Mo. Many twists and turns that will particularly intrigue those who love books unfold before Meggie ultimately learns that she and her father have something in common when it comes to magic. Redgrave's voice takes on growling, sometimes whispery qualities as she portrays villains; a brighter inquisitive tone prevails as Meggie makes observations and interacts with the other characters. The end result is a satisfying listen, perfect for long winter evenings by the fire. Ages 11-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
We’re starting to shake off winter and emerge, blinking, into the light of early Spring. No better time, we think, to go looking for a great new read. Our newest Monthly Picks are here, and we couldn’t be more pleased to share them with you. We were swept up in a novel of messy, young […]
I wrote Ink and Bone (and the subsequent upcoming novels of the Great Library series) because, quite simply, I love books. And maybe I love print books a little more, because they are a living expression of history. They are a beautiful art form of their very own, the product of centuries of knowledge, experience, technology, […]
Fans of Cassandra Claire’s bestselling Mortal Instruments series let out a collective squee when Freeform resurrected the franchise’s onscreen potential after the film didn’t do so great. Enter the Shadowhunters TV show, giving fans another chance to see their favorite characters from City of Bones in as close to real life as possible. The series has me thinking: what […]