I had a really hard time making up my mind which of Patricia Wrede‘s middle grades to feature, so while I I’m going to spotlight just one series today, I’ve promised myself I’ll return to the other favorite another day one week soon.  So, heads up on that! 😀

These books suffer from what I call the in-betweeners drag.  Meaning, they haven’t been around long enough for most parents of middle graders to have read them as kids and be passing them on to their children as beloved childhood favorites.  But, they have been around long enough that they aren’t sexy and new, and some even mistake them for derivative of bigger modern hits, which they actually predated.  This can leave them in something of a no man’s land, in which reader’s who would love to be reading them just don’t know they exist or don’t see their merit.

So, let me share them with you–and the first up is Dealing with Dragons, which begins Ms. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest chronicles.

In Cimorene we have a main character that may be the daughter of the king, but she’s hardly what you’d expect in a princess.  Rather than either embracing the cliches or bucking them all, she walks a fine line down the middle that is uniquely her own path.  Sure, she’s beautiful, intelligent, obsessed with cleanliness, and a bit of a, well, royal, about getting her way.  But, she’s also determined to be useful, completely unimpressed with princes, and not only willing to work for a living, willing to offer herself up to a dragon to keep house.  And, she does.  Cooking, cleaning, and conjugating a few Latin words all while helping hysterical princesses (of the properly stolen variety) and fending off would-be rescuers.

Along the way, she of course stumbles upon some ancient enchantments and learns her way around terrible spells, while also befriending her dragon employer and setting the world to rights.  She is a unique heroine, and her down-to-earth attitude and saucy voice kick off a series which is unusual in that it follows Cimorene’s life through growing up, marrying her true love, and raising a son.  I always loved the first book best, but my daughter, on reading them, liked Talking to Dragons best, which is told from the pov of Cimorene’s son.  It’s my opinion that this continuity of generations, in which we see the first beloved character take on new roles and step back so the rising generation can grow into their own stories, is a useful perspective for readers to have.  But, maybe that’s the mom in me speaking. 😉

I wouldn’t call the books overly complex, and many of the fantasy tropes will feel familiar.  However, the world building and characters are lovely, and the books are great for a light summer read, or to introduce a young reader to fantasy.  Once they pick them up, they’ll have a hard time putting them down.

Now, let’s get the all-wise and all-knowing Apricot-kitty’s take:

“What?  You can dither and dather on for that long and make no mention of Morwen and her brilliant cats?  At times I wonder if you set out to write these spotlights with the intent from the outset of stepping on my tail and rubbing my fur the wrong way.  Yes, I enjoyed the books.  But I can’t say the same for the review.”

Ah, yes, there is a witch who lives in the Enchanted Forest and keeps nine cats instead of the proper one a witch is supposed to have.  She’s rather clever, actually, and moreover manages to keep a sparkling clean house which I truly think is much harder than witchcraft.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy her, too.

Now, what ‘oldy but goody’ books do you know of?  I’ve got some delicious arcs I’m reading and love featuring new books, but I like to send a ray of light onto the dusty shelves where the not-yet-classics are kept, too.

For more middle grade features of all kinds, check out Shannon Messenger’s blog, and enjoy your Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

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