Begging to be read aloud, this is a fun book for middle grade readers, and it will surely inspire them to read—and write—more.
A lively, heartwarming, sometimes perilous tale packed with creepy elements, appealing characters…and more than a few laughs.
Begging to be read aloud, this is a fun book for middle grade readers, and it will surely inspire them to readand writemore.
I, for one, did not want the story to end.
12/01/2015 Gr 4–7—A single narrator, using alternating chapters, tells the tale of two 12-year-old girls: Kai, who is visiting her unusual but lovable great-aunt Lavinia in Texas for the summer, and Leila, who is spending her summer in Pakistan, her father's birthplace. Kai, voted weirdest in her class that year, is a loner, overly protected by her mother and expected to practice her violin at all hours. While unpacking in the guest room, Kai finds an old book titled The Exquisite Corpse. Excited to read it, she is disappointed that it contains an odd introduction and only one line of handwritten text, a name: Ralph T. Flabbergast. Guided by some strange intuition, she pens the words "was a complete fool" after his name. This is her first mistake. Now, each time she opens the book, more writing appears. At the same time in Pakistan, Leila, who reads far too many romantic novels and is hoping for an "authentic cultural experience" in her father's land, discovers the very same text in her great-uncle's library. Leila sets out to read the strange handwritten story of Ralph T. Flabbergast but is soon distracted as a beautiful silver and green moth floats in through her window. Momentarily stunned by its luminescence, Leila forgets all about the book. When the moth flies back out the window, Leila is astounded to see a new sentence on the bottom of the page, "Wasn't that beautiful?" It's as if the book is talking to her. Back in Texas, Kai meets Doodle, a young girl out to catch the Celestial Moth, rumored to be almost extinct in this part of the world. Her adventures with Doodle and their subsequent search for the elusive moth, as well as Leila's cultural gaffes around her family, lead readers on a rollicking adventure, complete with a suspiciously operated casket company, a (sort of) pet goat, and an obsession with Pakistani Idol. In the meantime, the story of The Exquisite Corpse unfolds, telling a tale of forbidden love and magic. Papademetriou's tale is sure to please readers who love a fast-paced, clever mystery. VERDICT With magic and humor, this is an excellent addition to middle grade collections.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH
2015-07-15 Two contemporary girls become linked by a bizarre story from the past, magically emerging from an old book. Twelve-year-old Kai's visiting her great-aunt in Falls River, Texas, while Leila's visiting her uncle's family in Lahore, Pakistan. A solitary only child, Kai recently stopped playing her violin after deciding she would never be the best, while Leila longs for an international adventure to compete with her academically gifted younger sister. When Kai discovers a book entitled The Exquisite Corpse, inviting her to "embark on a journey of magic beyond your powers of discernment, imagination, and belief," she sets a story in motion by writing on the blank page. Likewise, Leila finds and writes in a copy of The Exquisite Corpse. Each girl is stunned when her writing automatically appears in the emerging love story of Ralph Flabbergast and Edwina Pickle, turn-of-the-last-century residents of Falls River. As Ralph and Edwina's intriguing story unfolds in The Exquisite Corpse, bewildered Kai and Leila (and readers) wonder what's happening, but the omniscient, unidentified intrusive narrator eventually pulls most disparate elements together, connecting past to present and Lahore to Falls River. Papademetriou writes with assurance, spinning a beguiling tale of seemingly unrelated characters and events and tying it all together with a touch of magical realism. Readers will respond to this tale of enduring love and nascent self-discovery. (Fantasy. 8-12)
Lisa Papademetriou’s prose and sense of place dazzles the ear and eye, while the adventure and mystery binds us from page to page. Now that’s sleight of hand!” — Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor Winner
“Magic! It’s everywhere—in music, in moths, in an old handwritten book. But the real magic is the exquisite storytelling that sweeps us along until the last wonderful page. This is a book that leaves shimmers in the very air.” — Kathi Appelt, New York Times bestselling author of The Underneath and Keeper
“A lively, heartwarming, sometimes perilous tale packed with creepy elements, appealing characters…and more than a few laughs.” — Common Sense Media
“A rollicking adventure... Engaging and appealing, especially to those who have never quite fit in, this novel is sure to satisfy.” — School Library Journal
“Begging to be read aloud, this is a fun book for middle grade readers, and it will surely inspire them to read—and write—more.” — Booklist
“A beguiling tale of... enduring love and nascent self-discovery.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The developing mystery and the promise of new friendships and second chances make for emotionally satisfying engagement… Despite the contemporary setting, the book has an old-fashioned quality of domestic fantasy that will appeal to fans of E. Nesbit and Edward Eager.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“I, for one, did not want the story to end.” — Time for Kids
The developing mystery and the promise of new friendships and second chances make for emotionally satisfying engagement… Despite the contemporary setting, the book has an old-fashioned quality of domestic fantasy that will appeal to fans of E. Nesbit and Edward Eager.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Lisa Papademetriou’s prose and sense of place dazzles the ear and eye, while the adventure and mystery binds us from page to page. Now that’s sleight of hand!
The developing mystery and the promise of new friendships and second chances make for emotionally satisfying engagement… Despite the contemporary setting, the book has an old-fashioned quality of domestic fantasy that will appeal to fans of E. Nesbit and Edward Eager.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books