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pause_theframe's review
5.0
What an absolutely lovely story! This is a great middle grade introduction to the world of fantasy. The story is so exciting and adventurous, perfect for carting the attention of young reader and it really is a great story to enjoy, from start to finish!
I found the characters and world to have lots of detail, which really brought the whole story to life. It was exciting and the personalities, of the characters, gave you a real feel for the good and evil, and made you part of the moment.
Overall, this was really a great read, and one I fully recommend to all young readers and middle grade story lovers!
I found the characters and world to have lots of detail, which really brought the whole story to life. It was exciting and the personalities, of the characters, gave you a real feel for the good and evil, and made you part of the moment.
Overall, this was really a great read, and one I fully recommend to all young readers and middle grade story lovers!
beastreader's review
5.0
This is a fun and entertaining book. Middle grade readers as well as adults can both enjoy this book together. The grand adventure that Arty, Emma, and his other friends found themselves in the middle of was one for the story books.
The characters are very relatable. They act their age but I am fine with that. In what I mean by this, is the fact that they were not childish or tried to act older. Well except for Arty as Emma would point out in the beginning. Yet, as the story went on, Arty's intelligent did come in handy. When it came to everyone they were great. However, Cry (yes, this is his name) does live up to his name.
I look forward to reading more books that Gertrude Marplot writes from her Great Grand-dad, W.W Marplot collection of stories.
The characters are very relatable. They act their age but I am fine with that. In what I mean by this, is the fact that they were not childish or tried to act older. Well except for Arty as Emma would point out in the beginning. Yet, as the story went on, Arty's intelligent did come in handy. When it came to everyone they were great. However, Cry (yes, this is his name) does live up to his name.
I look forward to reading more books that Gertrude Marplot writes from her Great Grand-dad, W.W Marplot collection of stories.
jennyfer's review
5.0
13yo Arty - science need and believer in logic - finds an axe-wielding Dwarf in the forest in his backyard. While trying to learn the Dwarfs origin, name, language and purpose, he and his friends Emma and Cry find a Spriggan, then a Pixie, and encounter a creepy Man in Brown whose proportions are wrong and seems intent on tracking them.
With a stolen map and the Spriggan's help, they discover the return of the malevolent Gwyllion with plans to turns the suburban neighbourhood into a faerie battleground. The children must navigate the Faerie War that's brewing armed only with their wits in order to save Long Island from destruction.
Dwarf Story is told from the POV of Arty, Emma and occasionally other characters, as the story unfolds. As well as telling the story itself, we are treated to tween squabbles between the characteres and middle school angst, making the characters delightfully real and relatable to the target audience - 9-14yos. The mythology is accessible and there's the perfect balance of wonder, suspense, action and investigation.
This book is a keeper. I'll be buying a hard copy for my kiddo when it hits the shelves.
With a stolen map and the Spriggan's help, they discover the return of the malevolent Gwyllion with plans to turns the suburban neighbourhood into a faerie battleground. The children must navigate the Faerie War that's brewing armed only with their wits in order to save Long Island from destruction.
Dwarf Story is told from the POV of Arty, Emma and occasionally other characters, as the story unfolds. As well as telling the story itself, we are treated to tween squabbles between the characteres and middle school angst, making the characters delightfully real and relatable to the target audience - 9-14yos. The mythology is accessible and there's the perfect balance of wonder, suspense, action and investigation.
This book is a keeper. I'll be buying a hard copy for my kiddo when it hits the shelves.
bookishends's review
3.0
"Maybe all the little accidents in our lives, the bad unlucky things, or small lucky chances, are actually being controlled in secret and from another world. Each event is matched to a folktale being, and it is all real."
I think Dwarf Story is great for kids and teens who love a good story, especially one with great description of the different beings, events, and history. For a story this long, I needed more action than description for me to stay engaged, but I think this is perfect for people who love to really get into the setting of a book.
I enjoyed seeing the interactions between the characters and the folktale beings, and Tryst the Magnificent was definitely my favorite. I thought the story of why the creatures were appearing was strongly developed, and I liked the way it was slowly introduced as Arty, Emma, and Cry go on adventures to find more information about their creatures and what's occurring. I also liked the format of the friends co-writing the story together and interrupting each other's chapters to talk about what they think is important to knowing the story. I think younger readers will love that aspect as it makes it feel more personal or conversational.
It did feel like it was dragging half way through though especially when Emma keeps mentioning that nothing is happening. It's funny for a bit but it added a lot of filler that I don't think was needed.
Overall, this was a fun story, and I think a lot of young readers will enjoy getting lost in Arty's world as they try to figure out what's growing in Arty's yard and what Tryst is searching for.
*Thank you to Books Forward for the free copy. All opinions are my own*
spinkysaurus's review
3.0
Dwarf Story by W.W. Marplot is a cute fantasy adventure for middle grade readers. It is aimed for ages 9-14 and very appropriately written. The language is captivating and simplistic to make it easily understood by younger readers.
In this story you follow a few characters as they take turns explaining what's going on. The story begins with Arty, a scientific and organized 13 year old, finding a dwarf and being completely confused. He starts off using books and notes to learn about the new things he is experiencing and start to unravel the reasons for them. As the story continues other friends are added in and tell you more.
The chapters are short and quick reads. There is action interspersed throughout the tale that could keep the more reluctant readers involved. Considering the age of the readers it's aimed at there is nice additions of explanation and introduction to fantasy elements and creatures to help with understanding. Honestly, the book was written well for the younger end of the age group. It might seem long for these younger readers possibly causing minor struggles. However, it could definitely appeal to kids who struggle with reading as they are older (12-14) seeing as it is longer and holds a more interesting plot than most books which are also aimed at fourth graders.
All in all this is a cute story, perfect for kids to start reading fantasy with.
In this story you follow a few characters as they take turns explaining what's going on. The story begins with Arty, a scientific and organized 13 year old, finding a dwarf and being completely confused. He starts off using books and notes to learn about the new things he is experiencing and start to unravel the reasons for them. As the story continues other friends are added in and tell you more.
The chapters are short and quick reads. There is action interspersed throughout the tale that could keep the more reluctant readers involved. Considering the age of the readers it's aimed at there is nice additions of explanation and introduction to fantasy elements and creatures to help with understanding. Honestly, the book was written well for the younger end of the age group. It might seem long for these younger readers possibly causing minor struggles. However, it could definitely appeal to kids who struggle with reading as they are older (12-14) seeing as it is longer and holds a more interesting plot than most books which are also aimed at fourth graders.
All in all this is a cute story, perfect for kids to start reading fantasy with.
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