The Grumpface

The Grumpface is a poetic fairy-tale that tells the story of Dan, an inventor who ventures into a forest looking for a rose. Instead he finds the mysterious Grumpface who threatens to hold him captive unless he passes some difficult challenges. What follows is a humorous adventure that neither Dan nor the Grumpface could have anticipated.

The Grumpface is a tale in the spirit of any grand adventure. It is about a clumsy young inventor's quest for love and the challenges he must face to find it. It is also a tale of bravery, absurdity and happiness, and the power of these qualities over negativity and sheer grumpiness.

Every parent will be acquainted with their own little 'grumpface' now and then. This story stands as a small piece of hope - that no matter how ingrained the grump, there will always remain in every one of us a smile or a laugh just waiting to come out.

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The Grumpface by BCR Fegan was a very enjoyable children's book! I always read children's books out loud, to get the sense of how they hear as well as how they read, and this book is perfect for reading aloud. It has a great rhyme scheme with a nice mix of vocabulary. The story itself follows Dan the Inventor on a journey to find a rose when he gets lost and stumbles upon Grumpface. 

Dan is a creative main character who carries little inventions around with him. Most importantly, he's nice to the Grumpface even when the goblin-like creature threatens him with being trapped in the forest forever. When the Grumpface sets tasks for Dan and they aren't as easy as Dan believed, he doesn't get frustrated or upset; he just believes he'll do better on the next task. I think how Dan reacts throughout the storybook is a really good example of how to react when facing difficult challenges. To children, this will help solidify the idea that giving up or getting mad isn't the best reaction when things don't go your way. 

The Grumpface, though, a little mean at the start, is more of a likeable villain. As Dan attempts each task set before him, the Grumpface starts to smile a little more. I like how this demonstrates that any anger can be overcome and with children I'm sure this would be a good talking point when it comes to meeting new people. Just because they seem grumpy doesn't mean that they're actually mean people. I feel like it also promotes giving people a chance before judging them as Dan ends up helping Grumpface make his own big change at the end of the book.

With two nice main themes that jump out and a great poetic style, I think The Grumpface is a really good book for elementary school children. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

The Burning of Isobel Key

Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Ever since college, she’s lacked direction, working as a clerk in a local bookstore. But when she quits her job just before the winter holidays, Lou must do some serious soul searching to overcome her fears of straying from the mainstream. On a whim, she accompanies her best friend, Tammy, to Scotland for the winter holidays, but the vacation soon turns into an emotional roller coaster.

When she becomes embroiled in a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman falsely accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century, Lou opens up to her intuition and makes a startling discovery about her own heritage.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jen McConnel brings back the witch hunts with a Scottish twist in her novel, The Burning of Isobel Key. Relatable to the Salem Witch Trials of the U.S., readers will love this historical novel that focuses on heritage and all that entails. 

Louisa is a young woman who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, which causes her adoptive parents to be a bit pushy. When she escapes to Scotland with her best friend, Tammy, Lou has no idea that her heritage is about to be uncovered. 

Lou is quite a fun character. Whether she's bantering with Tammy, going against her parents' wishes, or delving into the world of magic, she keeps readers intrigued and entertained. Though Lou is unsure of herself and what she wants, she has the desire to find out the answers. Even though it would be going against expectations. Readers will connect with Louisa through her desire to learn about her heritage, her strong demeanor in the face of adversity, and the openness with which she sees the world around her. 

Part of the novel is in the past and focuses on Isobel Key, a Scottish woman who was burned for witchcraft. As the plot pulls the reader forward, Isobel and Lou become entangled. Isobel is a character in which all things are inferred. Readers will see what happened to her, though not experience it themselves. The story that is told about Isobel will allow them to form their own characterization of Isobel, labeling her with qualities that they focus in on. This technique will let readers form the bond they want to with her character. 

The Burning of Isobel Key dips into a variety of genres, with something for everyone to enjoy. It studies paranormal, entices with romance, shifts through history, laughs with comedic intent, and describes the horrors of the past. It truly is a novel for all. Recommended for fast-forwarding through an afternoon, as the book will charm readers into sitting through the spell. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

The Burning of Isobel Key (The Key Legacy)