Book Review of "The Faerie Door" by B.E. Maxwell

From the moment I picked it up I was enthralled by this novel. It tells the story of Victoria Deveny and Elliot Good, two children living in two separate time periods. Victoria, a girl living in late 18^th century England, is staying at her uncle’s house for the summer. Her bold and adventurous ways lead her to discover a magical ring.

The novel soon switches to the perspective of Elliot Good, a boy in 1966. A series of magical events direct him to explore an old Victorian house where he finds his own magical ring. After that, the pace of the plotline quickens. By some extraordinary magic Elliot and Victoria’s paths converge and they find themselves in the enchanted land of the Faeries. There they are sent by the Faerie Queen on separate quests into separate realms, both quests equally perilous. Victoria and Elliot must rely on the magic of their Faerie friends and their rings to protect them, but the great evils they face may be too vast even for the Faerie Queen.

B.E. Maxwell’s style of writing is compelling and unique. It reminds me of someone telling a tale to enthralled listeners by the fire, or a scribe recounting a magical history that really occurred. He uses plenty of words I had not come across before, or if I had I had completely forgotten them. As I read I kept an index card and a pen nearby so I could jot down words to look up in the dictionary. His vivid descriptions transported me not only to another time but to other worlds: worlds that abound with faeries, ogres, dragons and magic! I could hardly put the book down. However, I recommend this novel for young adult readers and not to children.

Inspirations 4 Writing

I was greatly inspired by B.E. Maxwell’s knack of  describing magical things and places as if they were real and he had seen them. He made you feel as if you were there, experiencing the wonders of an enchanted land. I hope you also are inspired in your own writing to imagine something so vividly and then describe it so well that the reader can picture it clearly in his mind’s eye. 

Book Review of "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson

This classic book by Robert Louis Stevenson begins with young David Balfour setting out to seek  his fortune. He has heard that he has rich relatives but when he arrives at the Balfour estate he finds only his miserly uncle. His uncle wants the family fortune that rightfully belongs to Davie. Unbeknownst to Davie he arranges for his nephew’s kidnapping. David soon finds himself tied hand and foot in the bottom of a ship bound for distant shores where they plan to sell David into slavery. However, when the crew allows on board a man named Alan Breck Stewart,  David’s future swiftly takes another turn. A battle, a shipwreck, and  the famous Appin murder; this is what you will find in the book’s following pages. David and Alan Breck are wrongfully accused of the murder and must “take to the heather” to escape from the hands of the King’s soldiers. Dogged by those who seek his life, will David ever gain his inheritance?

Written by the author of “Treasure Island,” this book is a must-read! Almost as soon as I started it I found it impossible to put down. Set in Scotland, this stunning piece of historical fiction weaves fact with fiction, imaginary characters with real people. For instance, while David Balfour is fictional,  Alan Breck truly lived. I think the question you must ask yourself when writing historical fiction is “What if?” What if the real Alan Breck met a boy named David Balfour? What if they were both accused of the same crime? What if….? This is how a story begins!

Inspirations 4 Writing

Settle on a favorite time-period. Research people who lived in the past and whom you admire. Now, write a story that involves these actual people and also ones that you create yourself. Write about events that really occurred and couple them with ones that exist only in your imagination. Let the fun began!        

Book Review of "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin

The famous and eccentric millionaire Sam Westing has been reported dead. Sixteen potential heirs to his 200 million dollar estate gather in the old Westing mansion to hear the reading of his will and to learn which one of them will inherit his fortune. Sam Westing will not let the answer be found quite so simply, however. In his will, Sam states that his life was taken from him by one of the people then present in the room. Which one is up to them to find out. Here’s the catch: the only way to find out is to play “The Westing Game.”  Instructing them to team up as pairs of two, Sam has each team given a set of clues. They have a limited amount of time. Whoever discovers the answer first wins the fortune and wins The Westing Game. 

When I finished this story all I could say was, “This is the best mystery novel I have ever read!” Abounding with disguises, mind-boggling riddles, word games, and unforgettable characters, this will prove to be an exciting and memorable adventure. Perhaps it was its unique plotline that made it the only mystery to ever win the Newbery Medal.

Inspirations 4 Writing 

I don’t know about you, but reading this book made me want to write my own story that contained riddles and word games! Take this idea and see what type of unique story you can create. Perhaps it is a story about a clue that leads to a clue and so forth until you reach a treasure….perhaps it is about a puzzle that leads to an answer as in "The Westing Game." Perhaps….Well, I will let you fill in the gap. The possibilities are endless!

Book Review of "Wonderstruck" by Brian Selznick

Wonderstruck is written by the author of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” which is now a major motion picture. Sections of both stories are told solely with the author's own illustrations, while the remainder of the book is in words, the style unique to Brian Selznick.
Wonderstruck begins with the story of Ben Wilson, a boy in 1977 grieving the death of his mother. Suddenly it goes back 50 years to a girl named Rose in the 1920’s. Rose’s story is unfolded in Brian Selznick’s beautiful black and white illustrations; the novel continues to alternate between the two character’s lives, one life told in pictures, the other described with words.
In 1977, Ben has a terrible accident that robs him of the sense of hearing. Back in 1927, you learn Rose is deaf as well. The similarities between the two children continue throughout the book. At last the parallels culminate in one surprising discovery. 

The thing about this book that I especially appreciated was how it entered into the mind of Ben. You got to experience a bit of life through the eyes of a boy who is deaf. Deeply profound, this book and its characters grabbed my heart from the very beginning. I felt in an indescribable way as if the characters were real. This is one of those rare novels that I will never forget and whose characters will always feel real to me.

Inspirations 4 Writing

What always inspires me about Brian Selznick’s writing are the characters he creates. The details of their emotions, their innermost thoughts, their habits, their likes and dislikes all work together to make them become real to the reader.

Book Review of "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine

This book is a tale of two sisters: Adelina and Meryl, the princesses of the magical land of Bamarre. Meryl is blonde and brave. She longs to go on quests to battle the ogres, dragons, gryphons, and specters that plague their land.  Adelina is dark-haired and timid. She is afraid of everything; from monsters right down to spiders. One day something occurs that will change the course of both sisters lives forever. Meryl falls ill to the Gray Death, an incurable disease that strikes suddenly and takes swiftly. Adelina knows there is a cure out there somewhere. Propelled by a love that is stronger than fear she embarks on a quest to save her sisters life.   

Written by the author of Newbery Medal winner “Ella Enchanted,” this story is one of my favorite fantasy novels. It combines fantastical creatures and occurrences with the relatable story of a sibling bond that is so strong it is unbreakable. What touched me most about this story is the love that Adelina has for Meryl, a love that moves her to do above and beyond what she thought she could. This novel is sure to move you, excite you, and enchant you in a way that only the best fantasy authors can.

Inspirations 4 Writing

Consider writing a story about a relationship between two or more people: siblings, friends, etc. Don’t merely state in your story that these characters love each other so much they would do anything for each other. Have the characters demonstrate this by their actions, as Adelina demonstrated it by risking her own life for her sister. Actions often speak louder then words. 

Book review of "In Search of Honor" by Donna Lynn Hess

 “In Search of Honor” is a stunning piece of Christian Fiction that grabs your attention and does not let go. The main character in the story is Jacques Chenier, a young man who lives in the chaotic times that mark the outset of the French Revolution. At age 15 Jacques is already known as a master sculptor, yet he is angry and bitter about life. He holds the nobility responsible for the death of his parents and he longs for revenge. Yet another part of him also longs for peace and tranquility of heart. His actions and the actions of those around him cause him to encounter people and places he would never have predicted coming across: everything and everyone from a cell in the dreaded Bastille to such leaders of the Revolution as Georges Danton and Robespierre. 

This book is a wonderful example of how a deep message can be communicated through the form of exciting historical fiction. In his adventures Jacques comes to question what is more important; the honor and recognition of man or the honor that only God gives. This is the kind of story that you will want to tell everyone about as soon as you complete it.

Inspirations 4 Writing

 Be inspired in your own writing by how Donna Lynn Hess can intrigue you, entertain you, and teach you through her writing. I was certainly inspired by the message she was able to portray in the story of young Jacques. Instead of telling you what God does in the life of an individual she showed you what He could do, all through a fictional character in an historical setting.   

Book Review of "After the Dancing Days" by Margaret I. Rostkowski

This book paints a poignant picture of how things were like just after the first world war, or “after the dancing days.” Annie is a 13-year-old girl who has just been reunited with her dad after he was away for over a year because of the war. Right before she is reunited with him at the train station, she sees a veteran soldier carried off the train on a stretcher: his face had somehow been totally deformed. Nothing about him looked normal, until he opened his eyes, which were a deep brown, just like her own. Try as she might, from that moment on Annie cannot forget that ravaged face or those eyes. By chance, she meets up with this soldier again at a hospital. Though others might shun him because of his appearance, Annie decides she wants to pursue a friendship with the young soldier, angry and bitter as he is about the war.

This book illustrates in a tangible way what can happen when a person looks beyond the forbidding exterior of another person and down into that person’s heart. Oftentimes, if one decides to brave the things about a person that make him or her seem unapproachable, a wonderful friendship can blossom as a result. This book is a must-read for all historical-fiction fans.

Inspirations 4 Writing

An author’s use of words in describing things often are what makes those descriptions so memorable. The author of “After the Dancing Days” carefully used words that made you picture everything vividly. She did not use too many words. She did not use too few. Be inspired by this. See how you can choose words in your own writing that capture the essence of what you are trying to say. Make each word count.