Monday, January 7, 2013

Bibliophile's Corner

The Spindlers
by Lauren Oliver

Flap Copy Description:
     One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning when she woke up, he was not. In fat, he was quite, quite different.

     When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.
     She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.
     To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little  more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids..as well  as terrible dangers. But when will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests - or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

My Thoughts:
The Spindlers is another middle grade novel by the New York Times bestselling author, Lauren Oliver. In this whimsical tale we find the protagonist - Liza - discovering an alternate world through a hidden space in her basement! As in Ms. Oliver's other middle grade novel - Liesl and Po - she weaves themes of love, loyalty, and hope into her magical fantasy adventure. I especially enjoy the author's word choices: she adds several slightly challenging phrases for young readers. I would highly recommend The Spindlers to readers from the ages of eight to twelve!

To learn more about the multi-talented author - Lauren Oliver - click here: http://laurenoliverbooks.com/