Review of Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore



Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore; Holiday House, 2010.

Princess Ivory Isadora Imperia Irene, known as Ivy, heiress to the kingdom of Ardendale, finds out when she is ten-years-old about “The Dragon Treaty”. Under its terms, she is to be locked in a tower and guarded by a dragon until a prince can slay the dragon and lay claim to Ivy as his bride, her kingdom as his own, and the dragon’s treasure. The treaty is in effect to insure that Ardendale will always have a king and so that the dragons living in the nearby Smoke Sand Hills will not become extinct. When Prince Romil arrives with his entourage from faraway Glacia to fight the dragon, Ivy tries everything she can think of to persuade him to leave. She cannot bear the thought of such an unpleasant, arrogant prince ruling her beloved Ardendale. After being placed in the tower, she manages to escape, befriend a dragon, and hatch a plan to save Ardendale from sure destruction.

Ivy Ever After is a delightful fairy tale, with a twist on the stereotypical damsel in distress! The main characters are charming—Ivy is an unconventional, funny, and resourceful. Since Ivy has been grown up without a mom and has free rein of the entire kingdom, she is friends with everyone in court; in fact, her best friends, Rose and Clarinda, are daughters of the kitchen staff! The girls are loyal and fierce in their devotion to Ivy. Ivy’s nursemaid, Tildy, is loving, but disapproving of how Ivy behaves; Ivy’s father, the king, is a little addled, but dotes on his daughter and is happy to let her have fun while she is young. Elridge, the small dragon who was to guard the tower, is sweet, but very protective of Ivy. Drusilla, Ivy’s long-lost fairy godmother, and her goat, Toadstool, were hilarious in their antics! On the other hand Prince Romil and his staff are evil, critical, and devious in their plans to take over Ardendale and destroy it! The way that Ivy, the dragons, and Drusilla plot to save Ardendale was ingenious!

The plot has lots of action, suspense, and funny moments to keep the reader wanting more! I highly recommend Ivy Ever After for upper elementary, middle school, high school, and public libraries!

Review of Violet Eyes by Debbie Vigue'



Review of Violet Eyes by Debbie Vigue'; Simon Pulse, 2010. 

   

The only life Violet has ever known is living on a farm and helping her parents. One morning following a terrible storm, the family’s farmhand finds a man who has been hit in the head by a falling tree branch. The family provides food and shelter while the man heals, and they discover, to their surprise, that he is Prince Richard, heir to the country’s throne. It is love at first sight for Violet, who decides to compete against many princesses for Prince Richard’s hand in marriage.

This charming story is the retelling of the fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea”, with added twists and turns. In the original, the only test given is sensitivity to a pea under a mattress, which is the last test in this book. In this version, there are a number of challenges, which are hidden, disguised as other tests. While the princesses think they are being tested on what they see, the actual contests turn out to be challenges of strong character. The princesses, three of whom become Violet’s close friends, are portrayed as strong, smart women, extremely capable of running any kingdom. This contradicts most stereotypes of fairy tale princesses, usually portrayed as weak, fragile creatures. Prince Richard feels that since he is a man, he should be the one competing for the hand of a princess, and not the other way around; he actually resents his parents for forcing princesses to display their worthiness of him. Violet is a brave, energetic, and endearing heroine, and readers will be cheering for her to pass all of the princess tests.

This book will appeal to young and old, alike. I recommend it for middle school, high school, and public libraries.