 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Wildwood
- By Colin Meloy
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Exciting enchanted forest adventure to save baby brother.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this novel, written by the lead singer and songwriter of the Portland, OR, rock band The Decemberists, follows the adventures of a brave pair of children as they face magic and armed combat in a fantasy world. The stakes are high and not every character fares well in the end, but the rewards of the tale well outweigh any drawbacks.
What's the story?
When her baby brother, Mac, is carried away by a flock of crows, seventh grader Prue McKeel embarks on a rescue mission that takes her away from her familiar Portland, OR, neighborhood and into the Impassable Wilderness. Accompanied by Curtis, a socially awkward schoolmate, Prue explores a strange land where gun-wielding coyotes, battle-ready bandits, intrepid forest creatures, and peaceable mystics all react to the machinations of the evil Dowager Governess. Prue and Curtis' first obligation is to save Mac, but they learn that the kidnapped infant is only one part of a scheme to destroy nearly everything in the forest known as Wildwood.
Is it any good?
WILDWOOD is an exciting, charming, and clever tale that finds a unique kind of magic in the forest of the Pacific Northwest. The plot has echoes of J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis, but it is not slavish to its influences, presenting an unusual and well-drawn mix of adult, child, and animal characters. Meloy has a pleasant, unaffected style, and Ellis' illustrations perfectly complement the text. The first part of a proposed series, Wildwood resolves its central conflict satisfactorily, while leaving enough tantalizing loose ends for further exploration.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the precautions that should be taken while babysitting, even if kidnapping by crows is not high on the list of dangers.
Prue discovers a family secret about herself and her baby brother. Are there some facts that parents are entitled to keep from their young children?
The novel's villain, the Dowager Governess, lost both her husband and her young son. What effect might grief have on a person and how might it change the way he or she views other people?
One character is torn between family life in Portland and life in the Impassable Wilderness. How do people deal with conflicting emotions about their physical proximity to family?
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| Author: | Colin Meloy |
| Illustrator: | Carson Ellis |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Balzer + Bray |
| Publication date: | August 30, 2011 |
| Number of pages: | 546 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 9 |
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