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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
You know those books that change you. The books that you read and reread over and over again, because they speak to you? What if that book disappeared, forever, and never was?
That is the premise of this book, The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor. What if a book has changed you, gave you thoughts you had never had before, influenced you to be who you are, what if they were not only taken away, but vanished from exisitance. What if the one book that made you change, or grow, or think, vanished from the planet, and no one remembered them, or how it changed you.
Poppy’s family has come to the Lark-Hayes Manor to restore it to its former glory. It has fallen into disrepair. And though Poppy is not supposed to explore the building, she does, and saves a water nymph, who grants her one wish. Her wish is to have a magical, flying lion. And the price? Only a book, or so Poppy thinks. One book. But no, it is all books. All her favorite books. All her family’s favorite books. Gone from her family, and gone from the world.
And all she has to do to get them back, is give back the flying lion.
And thus the quandary.
The voices of this book are so real. The parents not perfect. The bullies just as bad as bullies are. The story surprises me at each turn. I could nto guess where it was going, or what would happen, or what books would be taken away, and what each one meant to the person that made them special. The journal that Poppy’s mother had from her mother, who dies when she was young, taught her all the old family recipes. When that is swallowed up, the food that made anywhere they went home, was gone, along with her mother’s imagination.
This is a ten star book. All the feelings, all the angst. All the love. I can’t recommend this any more highly than to say you need this book. If you love magical middle-grade stories, if you love flawed, as we all are, heroines. If you love books, you will love this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
That is the premise of this book, The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor. What if a book has changed you, gave you thoughts you had never had before, influenced you to be who you are, what if they were not only taken away, but vanished from exisitance. What if the one book that made you change, or grow, or think, vanished from the planet, and no one remembered them, or how it changed you.
Poppy’s family has come to the Lark-Hayes Manor to restore it to its former glory. It has fallen into disrepair. And though Poppy is not supposed to explore the building, she does, and saves a water nymph, who grants her one wish. Her wish is to have a magical, flying lion. And the price? Only a book, or so Poppy thinks. One book. But no, it is all books. All her favorite books. All her family’s favorite books. Gone from her family, and gone from the world.
And all she has to do to get them back, is give back the flying lion.
And thus the quandary.
The voices of this book are so real. The parents not perfect. The bullies just as bad as bullies are. The story surprises me at each turn. I could nto guess where it was going, or what would happen, or what books would be taken away, and what each one meant to the person that made them special. The journal that Poppy’s mother had from her mother, who dies when she was young, taught her all the old family recipes. When that is swallowed up, the food that made anywhere they went home, was gone, along with her mother’s imagination.
This is a ten star book. All the feelings, all the angst. All the love. I can’t recommend this any more highly than to say you need this book. If you love magical middle-grade stories, if you love flawed, as we all are, heroines. If you love books, you will love this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 rounded up. A bit heavy-handed sometimes, but cute and fun.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I really enjoyed this middle grade book about a girl who finds a few magical creatures near her home. With some inspiration from Narnia (a winged lion who is kind), and a dangerous water nymph (who is stealing books and book memories), it kept me engaged to know what would happen next. It’s a great book for bookish people, also!
“She knows
she makes the world beautiful
when she blooms in her own time.”
Loved in her author’s note, she says “Some voices take longer to find than others.
Until then, it’s up to us to change the way we listen.”
P312
“She knows
she makes the world beautiful
when she blooms in her own time.”
Loved in her author’s note, she says “Some voices take longer to find than others.
Until then, it’s up to us to change the way we listen.”
P312
After striking a deal with a water nymph for a winged lion in exchange for her favorite books, Poppy discovers just how much a story can change a person. Along the way she learns to make friends, teach a lion to roar, and speak up for herself.
I loved seeing how the absence of stories affected the people around her in small and striking ways. Some stories just resonate like they’re in tune with in your soul. Ultimately, I enjoyed Poppy’s adventure and I hope a tiny reader finds it and takes its message to heart because, after all, “If you can’t find your place, make it”.
I loved seeing how the absence of stories affected the people around her in small and striking ways. Some stories just resonate like they’re in tune with in your soul. Ultimately, I enjoyed Poppy’s adventure and I hope a tiny reader finds it and takes its message to heart because, after all, “If you can’t find your place, make it”.
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cute, good lessons.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor is a gentle fantasy novel with a good message.
Poppy's family moves around a lot, as her parents restore old homes. The latest, Lark-Hayes Manor, is their largest yet, and a dream project of her mother's. Poppy believes in magic. Her favorite book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and she'd rather be in a fantasy world than the real one. Her older brother fits right in at his new school, but Poppy feels out of place and invisible.
When she rescues a water nymph, it offers her a wish. Poppy first wishes to go to Narnia, but the nymph scoffs at that. Then she wishes for her very own magical lion. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize what the cost is (and there's always a cost for magic) - the nymph is stealing books from the real world, starting with her precious Narnia books.
The winged lion, named Sampson, is wonderful, but as more books disappear from the world, Poppy must decide what is more important - keeping her lion or keeping the world full of the magic of books.
Poppy is the kind of kid I was - more happy in the world of books than at middle school - and there are a lot of kids who will really identify with her. The disappearing books have an interesting effect on the world, and I really liked that aspect of the story. For kids who still believe in magic (and adults who wish they could), this is a great escape from the real world!
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.
Poppy's family moves around a lot, as her parents restore old homes. The latest, Lark-Hayes Manor, is their largest yet, and a dream project of her mother's. Poppy believes in magic. Her favorite book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and she'd rather be in a fantasy world than the real one. Her older brother fits right in at his new school, but Poppy feels out of place and invisible.
When she rescues a water nymph, it offers her a wish. Poppy first wishes to go to Narnia, but the nymph scoffs at that. Then she wishes for her very own magical lion. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize what the cost is (and there's always a cost for magic) - the nymph is stealing books from the real world, starting with her precious Narnia books.
The winged lion, named Sampson, is wonderful, but as more books disappear from the world, Poppy must decide what is more important - keeping her lion or keeping the world full of the magic of books.
Poppy is the kind of kid I was - more happy in the world of books than at middle school - and there are a lot of kids who will really identify with her. The disappearing books have an interesting effect on the world, and I really liked that aspect of the story. For kids who still believe in magic (and adults who wish they could), this is a great escape from the real world!
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.
Wonderful middle-grades fantasy story full of allusions and the magic of stories!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes