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Emma and the Banderwigh
Ten-year-old Emma doesn’t believe in faerie tales or monsters that secret children away in the night–until she meets one.
She lives in a quiet village at the edge of Widowswood with her parents, her Nan, and her little brother, Tam. Ready to abandon the whimsy of childhood, she finds the boredom of chores comforting and Nan’s fanciful bedtime stories silly.
One morning, a wan and weary older girl staggers out of the woods and sets the entire town aflutter with whispers of a child-stealing monster lurking in the forest. Nan tells her of the Banderwigh: a dark soul who feeds on sorrow and drains the life from children’s tears.
Darkness comes calling on Emma’s happy home, threatening the reality to which she desperately clings. The impossible becomes more and more real, forcing Emma to reach inside herself for the ability to believe. Her family depends on it.
My Review of Emma and the Banderwigh
Oh, how I love Emma! When I was a little girl, I loved to read. I was at the library all summer long….well, all year long actually, but my fondest memories are of summer reading club. This book would have been on my list of favorites had it been available then! I love reading many different genres, and well-written middle grade books are among my favorites to read. This one fits the bill.
Emma and the Banderwigh is a very well written middle grade book with wonderful characters and a magical plot. Though Emma has outgrown the belief in faeries, monsters and magic, she soon becomes to find that indeed they are real. And she finds out that magic is closer than she thought! Emma is a kind girl who is always looking out for her little brother. She also is kind to the beggar girl who sells rotten apples. She helps her mother, loves her Nan and is loyal to her father. She even proves to have kindness for the ones who don’t deserve it.
This book has so many elements that make a great story. Your middle grade reader will love it! If you love magical stories, you will love it too.
Be sure to read Emma and the Silk Thieves, the follow-up to Emma and the Banderwigh.
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