From: Nina A Lindsay <NALINDSA>
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 97 17:59 CST

Two charming fantasies with quick-wit and a bit of slapstick are Gail Levine's
_Ella Enchanted__ and Lloyd Alexander's __Iron Ring__. For the discerning reader, Patrice Kindl's __Woman in the Wall__ can be hilarious, but it is a bizzarre book with a bad title and cover art. Commit yourself to the first 25 pages before you give up -- you might enjoy it. One of my favorites this year, and so far, it seems, a sleeper, is __Well Wished__ by Franny Billingsley. It's a first novel -- a classically plotted tale of a spell that has to be undone, with vivid, intense characters and setting. The main character Nuria, should be Anne of Green Gable's role model.
  My neighborhood childrne's book discussion group just held it's Mock Newbery Discussion. It's a fun group because I'm the only librarian in it (there's a middle school teacher, a mental health consultant for preschools, a city planner, a poet ... ). We selected _Seedfolks__ by Paul Fleishman as our medalist, and gave honors to _Out of the Dust_ by Karen Hesse and _Lily's Crossing_ by Patricia Reilly Giff.
  Anyone else's Mock Discussion results? 'Tis the season ...
 
  Nina Lindsay nalindsa at macc.wisc.edu
Received on Tue 09 Dec 1997 05:59:00 PM CST