A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

115 pages

"Nya goes to the pond to fetch water for her family. She walks eight hours every day.

Salva walks away from his war-torn village. He is a 'lost boy' refugee, destined to cover Africa on foot, searching for family and safety.

Two young people...two stories.

One country: Sudan.

This mesmerizing dual narrative follows two threads--one unfolding in 2008 and one in 1985--with one hopeful message: that even in a troubled country, determined survivors may find the future they are hoping for." -Back Cover

I picked this book up at my kids' book fair at school. I read it while sitting through jury selection last Monday. I should have taken a longer book since it took 5 1/2 hours to select jurors of which I wound up being one.

This book is good for middle grade readers. I'd like my girls to read it so they understand how blessed they are to not only live in a free country where there isn't the constant threat of war and violence, but also to be able to turn a knob and have running water. As an adult, I wished this book had had more detail. It's hard to cover several years in 115 pages but when you think about walking across a country by yourself and with other boys, it's such a remarkable feat that I would have liked to have read more about that. I could tell the two stories were going to come together many pages before they did and it was a satisfying ending. Again, good for young readers.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

438 pages

"Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change.

When the twins' grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they're about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven't ended in this magical land--Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way?" -Dust Jacket

The author's name sounded familiar when I bought this, but I didn't realize just who he was until my daughter looked at the dust jacket. Chris Colfer plays Kurt Hummel on Glee. I watched Glee for the first two seasons until it took a decidedly homosexual direction and tried to take on too many social issues instead of just being a funny show with cool music. I thought this book was pretty good but once I realized it was written by a young adult I cut it more slack than I might have otherwise.

Alex and Conner fall through their grandmother's book into the Land of Stories. They meet a frog man who gives them a journal. The journal reveals that there is a Wishing Spell that could help them get back home but there are several items they need to collect for the spell. Each item comes from a different kingdom and fairy tale character--Cinderella's slipper, a piece of Red Riding Hood's basket, the spindle of Sleeping Beauty's spinning wheel, and some others they don't quite understand. Along the way, they encounter danger from the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf Pack. They're also kidnapped by trolls and goblins. Goldilocks helps them out of a couple of rough spots and is romantically involved with Jack, of Jack and the Beanstalk fame. There were some fun twists on classic fairy tales. I liked that the Evil Queen had a reason for being evil and was actually a victim herself. It wasn't the best book of this genre that I've read but it was good. I'll definitely get the sequel. The ending, when the Fairy Godmother tells Alex and Conner why they traveled to our world and told their stories, was particularly touching. I also love that Alex thanks the people/characters for being some of her best friends. That's why I love to read. Characters in books become your friends and can help you through difficult times sometimes.