Flight of swans Author: McGuire, Sarah | ||
Price: $6.50 |
Summary:
Elaborates on the tale of young princess Ryn, who must be silent for six years to save her brothers after they are turned into swans by their evil stepmother.
Added Entry - Personal Name: | Andersen, H. C |
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Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.90 Points: 14.0 Quiz: 198826 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 4.20 Points: 23.0 Quiz: 77808 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/15/18)
School Library Journal (00/09/18)
Booklist (08/01/18)
The Hornbook (00/09/18)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 08/01/2018 A girl does not speak for six years to save her brothers’ lives in this riveting retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Six Swans. Princess Andaryn’s idyllic life with her six older brothers comes to a disturbing end when a mind-controlling enchantress marries her father. When the enchantress turns her brothers into swans, Andaryn promises silence for six years in order to free them. Over those six years, Andaryn goes on the run to escape the enchantress-queen’s army, sees her brothers in their human forms on full moons, and figures out how to defeat the enchantress. Even though Andaryn does not speak for most of the book, she is far from voiceless. Her discovery of how to fight back with seemingly useless weapons such as silence, spindles, and stinging nettles sends an empowering message. Andaryn’s change from a protected princess to a resilient woman adds a poignant coming-of-age element to the story, and her relationships with her six brothers offer plenty of humor and depth. A captivating adventure about power, memory, and love. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 09/01/2018 Gr 5–8—For fans of reworked fairy tales, McGuire takes on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans." Princess Andaryn, aka Ryn, is the youngest in her family, which includes her widower father and her six older brothers. When her father remarries a beautiful witch who enchants him and the rest of the kingdom, they are all in jeopardy. A showdown with the witch puts Ryn's prince brothers into danger, so the princess strikes a bargain with her stepmother: to spare her brothers' lives, Ryn must remain silent for six years. During that time, her brothers will live as swans. Now Ryn must run away and try to discover how to thwart the evil queen before the six years are up—all without endangering the lives of her brothers. Darker than most contemporary reworkings of classic tales, McGuire hews closely to the source material and keeps it in the original time and place. It is refreshing to see the princess (and youngest sibling at that) save the princes. She is clever, courageous, and persistent, and she experiences much growth and maturity as the novel progresses. At first, the identities of the brothers seem confusing, but they are written distinctly enough that readers will be able to tell them apart as the story progresses. There is some violence and romance, yet nothing too intense, making it an acceptable choice for older elementary and middle school students, especially those interested in the world of Game of Thrones, but not mature enough to watch the show. VERDICT A finely crafted and compelling fairy-tale retelling. Hand to voracious fantasy readers and fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale.—Kate Nafz, Fair Lawn Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.