Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, a magical adventure

 

Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, a middle grades fantasy chapter book by Amanda Foody is perfect for fans of Harry Potter and The Girl Who Drank the Moon.  

Barclay is an orphan who wants to belong so badly that he's willing to be the apprentice of a mushroom farmer in order to have a decent shot at a respectable future in his sad, paranoid town of Dullshire.  The townsfolk have strict rules and are protecting themselves against the magical and dangerous beasts that lurk in the woods. (The same ones that killed Barclay's parents.)

When he accidentally bonds with a mysterious and wild beast, Barclay will stop at nothing to try to get back to his old life.  His journey will take him deep into the woods to an unbelievable world of power, lore and untrustworthy types who take advantage of Barclay's naiveté and eagerness to remove his bond.

Viola, a lore keeper who seeks out dangerous beasts, offers to help Barclay.  He is unsure whether to trust her and her little dragon beast, Mitzi, or not.  With a magical competition starting that could be Barclay's ticket to return to Dullshire, he must risk everything.  Will he finally find a place in the world where he belongs in the magical wild or will he go back to a lonely, ordinary, yet, safe life in Dullshire?

A humorous mystery full of action, imagination and memorable characters. This is a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoyed fast-paced, fantasy adventure with loads of funny banter and a hint of mystery.

Families, librarians and teachers can use this book in many ways to engage readers.  To get readers hooked, the  first chapter of the book is perfect for a read aloud. It is going to make them want to read on to find out the fate of poor Barclay! Hear the author read from chapter one below:

Foody also goes into much detail about mushrooms so it would be excellent for readers to do a mushroom inquiry that they can share with others what they were curious about and what they discovered.  Another interesting part of this story are the rules in Dullshire.  They are arbitrary and silly so readers can research odd laws where they live and discuss why they think these laws were even made in the first place.  Finally, the reader can design and make a beast warding charm like Barclay's, made out of rope, herbs and twigs or they can make their own based on what they find out in nature.

The best news to share is that Foody has the second book in the series coming out in March 2022!

Photograph (c) Diane Brophy Photography.

What We'll Build: Plans for Our Together Future

 

What We'll Build: Plans for Our Together Future by Oliver Jeffers is a beautiful picture book that asks the reader to look to the future with hope.  My students shared what they planned on getting better at in the New Year or what they want to do less of.  This primed them for the book's message:  looking forward to taking action in your community with friends and foes.

The story opens with two pairs of hands that agree to start building. 

 I asked my students, who is someone with whom you like to build?  

It continues by showing the team building and taking things apart. 

I asked my students, what is something you've built and taken apart?

After much building the team takes a break in the story. 

I asked my students, where is your favorite place to relax and recharge your energy?

At one point in the story, the team hide behind a castle wall to steer clear from villains on the other side.  In the following page the villains show remorse and offer apologies.  On this page the team and the villains sit together at a table.  

I asked my students why this is an important message, to forgive one another.

My favorite part of this books is when Jeffers shows the ideas of the two team members colliding.  I asked my students what they want to build in their future.  With each turn of the page there are a number of conversations that come up.  

This is a graphically pleasing story appropriate for ages 4 and up.  

Jeffers' website offers FREE resources (craft and activity sheets) for many of his books, including What We'll Build.