Book Review: Celia and the Fairies, by Karen McQuestion

When Celia Lovejoy's parents announce that her grandmother is coming to live with them, Celia is delighted. Now while her parents work at their toy company, she can spend time with Grammy instead of going to bossy Paul's house. When her grandmother tells stories about the fairies living in the woods behind Celia's house, her parents are quick to dismiss it. "Just a lot of nonsense," says her father with a wave of his hand. Her mother reminds her that a ten-year-old girl is too old to believe in magic. But if there are no fairies, how to explain the glimmers of light she sees from her balcony at night? And why does she dream of a fairy girl begging for help? All of the answers are in the woods, if only Celia is brave enough to find out. An engaging story sure to delight readers everywhere.

***

This delightful gem of a story almost got lost on my Kindle.  I just happened across a sample that I had downloaded.  I was hooked right from the start.

It reminded me a little bit of the Fablehaven series.  The writing was well done and the story flowed easily.  I read the book in about two hours.

Celia is a wonderful protagonist.  She is brave, but she is still a young child, so she is limited as to the things she is able to accomplish.  In spite of her limitations, she still manages to do the right thing and prove to herself that she is important and courageous.  

I loved the original Celia (the grandmother) too.  She was calm and reassuring during the entire story.  She is the kind of grandmother that everyone wants to have.  Vicky McClutchy was a perfect villain.  She was beautiful, smart, and utterly heartless.  I enjoyed the way she did not even try to pretend that she was nice.  She was horrible to everyone.  

This is definitely a recommended read for children ages 7 and up.

File Size: 256 KB
Print Length: 192 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1449924999
Publisher: AmazonEncore (November 2, 2010)
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