Imaginative world-building transports readers to a playful world and time when kings ruled the land, bows and arrows were the weapons of the day, yet windows have glass and kids still call each other “nerd.” The prevailing sense of fun encourages readers just to go with it, and soon enough the stakes get higher: when an evil duke sees Trinity’s cell phone, he proclaims it to be a black magic box and vows to kill the entire family. Hijinks ensue, with the plucky family eluding the duke’s murderous efforts. Starr takes the opportunity to impart positive lessons to young readers, including the importance of apologizing when appropriate, healthy eating, and following boundaries.
Starr excels in creating descriptive prose (“This old lady had an outrageously wild mountain of untamed hair, the likes of which belonged in a zoo, with never-ending locks of beautiful golden-brown curls that fell to the floor”) and appropriate middle-grade gross-out elements like a goat urinating on Jamie (“she stuffed her wet, smelly, disgusting socks into her shoes. They made a sloshy, squishy-squashing squidgy sound”), burp clouds, and a magical fairy who makes her home in Martha’s nostril. Starr keeps the excitement going until the very last page—although the story ends on a cliffhanger. Still, middle-grade fantasy fans will relish Starr’s well-plotted and hilariously imagined tale.
Takeaway: Funny middle-grade fantasy of magic, witches, goats, and gentle gross-outs.
Comparable Titles: Max Brallier, Jacob Sager Weinstein.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+
