| "IGRAINE THE BRAVE"
Author: Cornelia Funke
Interest Level: Middle Grades (4-8)
ATOS Reading Level: 5.6
AR Points: 7.0
Publisher Recommended Age: 9-12
Publisher: Scholastic/Chicken House
Book Type: Hardcover
Pages: 160
Book Description:
Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He's got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine's magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it's up to Igraine to be brave and save the day—and the books!
Book Reviews:
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review): "Funke's inventive re-imagining of the knight-in-shining-armor story benefits from its playful details-rainbow-colored smoke wafting out of the spell room, gargoyles who breathe fire from the turrets, stone lions that roar at strangers. ...an abundance of action and humor make this satisfying story work as a read-aloud too."
Kirkus Reviews: "...this engaging read, or read-aloud, is "joust" the ticket for all young fans of non-gender-specific knightly valor."
ALA Booklist: Funke's lively ink drawings introduce the characters, decorate the beginnings and ends of chapters, and occasionally provide large illustrations of the setting and action. A good read-aloud choice."
School Library Journal: "Funke's whimsical pen-and-ink illustrations are a good match for this spirited tale. The story has many twists and turns and an engaging heroine who rises to the challenge. Readers will eagerly join her on her quest, and younger children will enjoy an exciting read-aloud as this valiant knight saves the day."
Book Awards:
USA: New York Public Library, Best Book for Reading and Sharing
About the Author:
Cornelia Caroline Funke (born December 10, 1958, in Dorsten, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a multiple award-winning German author of children's fiction. She is best known for her Inkworld trilogy, with the English translation of the third, Inkdeath, to be released on October 7th. The Inkworld books have gained a variety of attention, and critics have praised Funke as the "German J. K. Rowling". Her books are very popular in her native country, and many have now been translated into English. Her work fits mainly into the fantasy and adventure genres. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
On her personal homepage, Funke states that the vital starting point for a good book is an "idea", and if that idea is worth it, to research on interesting topics which support the idea, and to search for appropriate places and characters. With ideas, she said that for her, "they come from everywhere and nowhere, from outside and inside. I have so many, I won`t be able to write them down in one lifetime."
The characters, Funke elaborates, "Mostly they step into my writing room and are so much alive, that I ask myself, where did they come from. Of course, some of them are the result of hard thinking, adding characteristics, manners, etc., but others are alive from the first moment they appear", and pointed out that Dustfinger from "Inkheart" was one of the most vivid characters who ever popped into her mind. For aspiring authors, Funke says: "Read – and be curious. And if somebody says to you: 'Things are this way. You can`t change it' - don`t believe a word."
Funke married printer Rolf Funke in 1981. They have two children, Anna (b. 1989) and Ben (b. 1994). For the next 24 years, the Funke family lived in Hamburg, before they moved to Los Angeles in May 2005. Rolf Funke died of colorectal cancer on 5 March 2006 in a Los Angeles hospital. |
