"Reading Garret's story was like being with an old friend. Where there are dragons, there is a story; let this lovely tale weave its spell."-Kathi Appelt, author of National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor book The Underneath
"Reading Garret's story was like being with an old friend. Where there are dragons, there is a story; let this lovely tale weave its spell."-Kathi Appelt, author of National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor book The Underneath
"What a writer! What a setting! So many gorgeous sentences! I loved it. The enchantment of a tender, empowering friendship builds so softly, so gradually, and with so much force that, before you realize what's happened, you've gone over the edge and there's no turning back. A coming of age tale combined with an ageless fantasy. Wise and sweet, sharp and dear, a poem of a story. " -Karen Romano Young, author of Hundred Percent and Doodlebug
"What a writer! What a setting! So many gorgeous sentences! I loved it. The enchantment of a tender, empowering friendship builds so softly, so gradually, and with so much force that, before you realize what's happened, you've gone over the edge and there's no turning back. A coming of age tale combined with an ageless fantasy. Wise and sweet, sharp and dear, a poem of a story. " -Karen Romano Young, author of Hundred Percent and Doodlebug
"Sometimes, when I've gotten too bogged down with churning through books and reviews, I get a little disenchanted with reading. I forget the magical feeling that comes with losing myself in a good book. But then I read something like The Language of Spells and I remember all over again." —Reading Till Dawn
"Sometimes, when I've gotten too bogged down with churning through books and reviews, I get a little disenchanted with reading. I forget the magical feeling that comes with losing myself in a good book. But then I read something like The Language of Spells and I remember all over again." —Reading Till Dawn
"Young readers will gravitate to Grisha and Maggie, and, sadly, smile at the book's poignant ending." -VOYA
"Young readers will gravitate to Grisha and Maggie, and, sadly, smile at the book's poignant ending." -VOYA
"An extraordinary tale that meshes real historical events with a winning cast of magical creatures... an ideal read-aloud that fantasy lovers of all ages can enjoy." —BookPage
"An extraordinary tale that meshes real historical events with a winning cast of magical creatures... an ideal read-aloud that fantasy lovers of all ages can enjoy." —BookPage
"A lovely, gentle book with a bittersweet ending" —Kid Lit Geek
"A lovely, gentle book with a bittersweet ending" —Kid Lit Geek
"The Language of Spells is so many wonderful things, I don't even know where to start." —Books4YourKids
"The Language of Spells is so many wonderful things, I don't even know where to start." —Books4YourKids
"Reminds readers that there might be magic all around us, even if we cannot see it." -School Library Journal
"Reminds readers that there might be magic all around us, even if we cannot see it." -School Library Journal
"Extraordinary-not to be missed." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Extraordinary-not to be missed." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Offers eccentric charm, sweetness, life lessons, Latin, and more than a bit of heartbreak." —Common Sense Media
"Offers eccentric charm, sweetness, life lessons, Latin, and more than a bit of heartbreak." —Common Sense Media
"A magical tale of marvels and a marvelous tale of magic. The Language of Spells reads-and feels-like a classic of children's literature." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor's Tale and A Tale Dark and Grimm
"A magical tale of marvels and a marvelous tale of magic. The Language of Spells reads-and feels-like a classic of children's literature." -Adam Gidwitz, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor's Tale and A Tale Dark and Grimm
"An affecting, melancholy story that asks intriguing questions about the costs of power." - Publishers Weekly
"An affecting, melancholy story that asks intriguing questions about the costs of power." - Publishers Weekly
"Lovely and lyrical.. extraordinary piece on grace and, finally, love." - Booklist, starred review
"Lovely and lyrical.. extraordinary piece on grace and, finally, love." - Booklist, starred review
"A friendship between a child named Maggie and a dragon named Grisha is at the heart of this transportive, adventure-filled book about magic, connection, and shared history."—Southern Living
"A friendship between a child named Maggie and a dragon named Grisha is at the heart of this transportive, adventure-filled book about magic, connection, and shared history."—Southern Living
02/01/2018
Gr 3–6—In the decades that Grisha was a teapot, the world almost forgot how to see magic. So when Grisha is restored to his proper dragon form, he finds himself called, along with all the remaining dragons, to Vienna by an unknown magic. Years pass, and he meets a uniquely magical girl named Maggie who struggles to fit into a human world where she has no friends except her eccentric poet father and has no memories of her long-dead mother. Through their powerful connection, Maggie becomes happy and Grisha soon remembers the fate of other dragons, those without golden eyes like his, and begins a quest with Maggie to wake them from a spell gone wrong. But magic, as shown by the dragons and magical cats who control them, requires sacrifice and giving up the thing most precious to you. Will Maggie be willing to save the unjustly punished dragons? This quiet and somewhat melancholy novel focuses more on the power of friendship than on fantasy, and reminds readers that there might be magic all around us, even if we cannot see it. It also is about finding one's purpose and place in the world. By calculation, Maggie is born in the 1990s, but the Vienna setting feels more like the early 19th century; this is an atmospheric and ethereal tale. Final art not seen. VERDICT An unexpected page-turner, this will appeal to readers who like emotional poignancy with their adventure.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA
★ 2018-04-25
Set primarily in Vienna, this middle-grade novel explores themes of honor and courage as it tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and a dragon.Grisha, a dragon, was born in the Black Forest in 1803, a time when magic was still commonplace. When a powerful sorcerer's enchantment turns Grisha into a teapot, he can still see and hear, but he cannot move or speak. After many decades, which include the two human world wars, Grisha is freed and travels to Vienna, where he has heard that dragons are congregating—but soon after he arrives, many of the dragons mysteriously disappear. He meets 11-year-old Maggie, who lives in Vienna's Sacher Hotel with her poet father. Grisha is pleased and gratified that Maggie can see him since, by now, humans have become so busy and preoccupied that they no longer see what they don't wish to see, which includes dragons and magic in general—one of many equally graceful observations that amplify this delicate, original story into something much more than its plot. The two become friends and determine to find the missing dragons. Weyr's deft, assured narrative is interwoven with dry humor and percipient observations as it explores the value of seeing magic in one's life as well as the honor of sacrifice. Harnett's evocative black-and-white illustrations add atmospheric richness, depicting its human cast as white Europeans.Extraordinary—not to be missed. (Fantasy. 9-12)
