Children's Fiction ~

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

Review by: Bluninja29

Opening Thoughts:

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a collection of stories based off the TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2003 TV series.) It has 11 Short Stories all based off episodes from the TV show. with more view points that we didn't get to see in the show. One of the Short stories im are gonna look at is about Count Dooku.

Story:

Count Dooku was surprised attacked by the Republic.

Presentation:

I do like how these are in the characters point of view like Count Dooku. I also like how all the stories are based off the show. What I didn't like is how these are short stories, but it is a nitpick so I won't get crazy over it. I honestly liked this book.

If you are a star wars nerd or want to give your kid a star wars book to read. then this is the book for you!

4/5

The problem with reviewing books months after I've read them is I can't remember anything. I think there was a weird thing with Hazel's adoption (or another adopted kid) in this book, but I can't remember what. 

The story itself was just kind of eh. It didn't feel that innovative, but it also wasn't terribly derivative. The writing is good, the book never captured my attention or imagination. 

I loved Breadcrumbs, the first book I read by Anne Ursu. Her writing is amazing, it really draws you in. The friendship between the two main characters in that book was powerful. The same type of friendship is found in The Real Boy, with Callie and Oscar.

Oscar is an unusual boy, who most people treat as "less than". He believes there is something wrong with him, something missing, but he doesn't know what it is. Callie is a true friend. She sees Oscar for who he really is and realizes that there is something different about him. She never holds that against him, but rather encourages him to try new things. 

They live in a forest called the Barrow. The Barrow is the last place where magic exists. The Barrow surrounds a city, Asteri, where the "shining people" live. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician and Callie is an apprentice to the village healer. Oscar has a simple, predictable life and he likes it that way. The real world is too predictable and he doesn't want to deal with that. (It almost seemed like he had a form of autism from the way he acted).

The people of the Barrow provide magical services to the shining people of the city. But, at what point do they rely too much on magic?  The shining people reject reality and want to live in a fantasy world of magic. When reality intrudes, neither the shining people nor the villagers in the Barrow deal with it well. Oscar and Callie aren't leaders in the Barrow, but they are the ones who see what is happening and they are the only ones who try to act to make a difference.

This is a beautiful fantasy story where the real magic is found in the friendship of the main characters.

Recommended to:

Grades 3 - 7 (and up). Fans of fantasy and friendship stories, where the little guy makes a big difference.

Her class at her old school looked out on a small patch of woods, and Hazel had always thought that there was something magical about them, that it was the sort of place she and Jack were supposed to go into together. They would bring breadcrumbs, and they would cross through the line of trees to see what awaited them.

- Chapter 1

 

Jack was the only person she knew with an imagination, at least a real one.

- Chapter 2

 

For the mirror took beautiful things and made them ugly, and it took ugly things  and made them hideous.

- Chapter 5

 

A boy got a splinter in his eye, and his heart turned cold. Only two people noticed. One was a witch, and she took him for her own. The other was his best friend. And she went after him in ill-considered shoes, brave and completely unprepared.

- Chapter 13

This book is amazing. Hazel is brave and terrified, certain and unsure, and most of all loyal to her best friend Jack. At first, when he stops speaking to her, she is hurt, but when he disappears, she knows that she alone can save him.

A delightful retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson story, The Snow Queen. I enjoyed every minute of this book. My goal at school next year is to help the students discover books in the library that have very few checkouts but are great books. This is definitely one of those books!

Recommended to:

Fans of fantasy adventures in grades 5 and up.

This sort of re-telling isn't my jam, but I suspect it will be one of those amazing books for my niece to read.