For My First Book . . .

Igraine the Brave, by Cornelia Funke

With the recent release of the DVD movie of her novel Inkheart , Cornelia Funke has increased her readers, I’m sure. I enjoyed the movie–family friendly. I hadn’t read any of her work, so I decided to try it. You know, books are always better.

My choice, and my first book for my blog, was Igraine the Brave. If your children like brave resourceful heroes, talking animals, dragons, bad guys destined to lose, and castles with all kinds of magical defensive features, then they will love this book. The main character is a girl, so some boys may not want to read it (I know mine wouldn’t). I also think that a younger audience, early elementary, would be best as a group of listeners. The chapters are short and there is lots of humor. Igraine is sassy, stubborn, but good-hearted and loyal. Here’s a quick summary:
It is Igraine’s birthday, and her parents, two well-known sorcerers, are creating her birthday present with the help of their singing magic books. When the spell goes wrong, Igraine sets out to get the ingredients for a spell to set things right. That is exactly when a greedy neighbor attacks the castle to steal the books.

There are many colorful characters, including animals, and who is on the side of good and bad is easy to see. There will definitely be some older children, girls in particular, who will enjoy reading the book for themselves. It is a bit predictable, but many fairytale type stories are, and that is not a bad thing with young readers. If you stop at the end of a chapter at bedtime, your final comment can always be, “What do you think will happen next?” Kids will usually have it all figured out, and from a teacher standpoint, this is great practice for reading exercises they may have to do in school. Besides, they love being right!

I would definitely read this book again. The edition I read was only 212 pages with adorable illustrations by the author. I love books with strong female characters. Igraine is only 12 and she is not solely responsible for how the events unfold, but she is without a doubt the heroine. Go girls!