Igraine the Brave

Igraine is the perfect heroine. Smart, witty, brave, and independent she is the ideal role model for little girls everywhere. It doesn't matter that she is young or small, she manages to help save her family and her home from the invaders trying to steal the singing books of magic. I heartily recommend this book for both girls and boys, and I'm sending my copy to my nieces in Texas to enjoy.

I just finished reading this to my seven-year-old daughter, and she loved it. The combination of fantasy, strong girl characters, and silliness really appealed to her. I strongly recommend it as a read-aloud book.

Members of Igraine's family are perfectly happy to spend their days locked away in crumbling Pimpernel Castle's tower, composing magic spells using their valuable singing Books of Magic. Igraine, on the other hand, would prefer to wear her great-grandfather's chain mail and spend her days riding horses and fencing with enchanted opponents in the castle's courtyard. She dreams of adventure and of life as a knight. "Incantations, spells, lists of ingredients for magical powders and potions --- learning all that by heart gave her a headache." Igraine just may get her chance for adventure when a few surprising events coincide. First, the menacing Osmund and his henchman (known as the "Spiky Knight" because of his dangerous-looking armor) move into nearby Blacklock Castle. Could Osmund have his eye on Igraine's family's precious Books of Magic? Second, an error in a magic spell turns Igraine's parents into swine, so they're certainly not going to be able to help save the Books of Magic. Perhaps it's up to Igraine, suited up in her brand-new suit of armor, to save the day --- and prove herself as Igraine the Brave --- after all. Cornelia Funke has become well known in the United States for her Inkworld trilogy of novels that include INKHEART, INKSPELL and INKDEATH (to be published early next year). Now, a number of the earlier books by this popular German author is being translated for her many American fans. IGRAINE THE BRAVE was originally published in Germany in 1998 but has been newly translated into English. This book is full of the kind of imaginative, fantasy-filled details that have drawn so many readers to Funke's other novels --- such as the family of water snakes that live in the castle's moat, or the desire of Igraine's fledgling magician brother to protect the castle's mice, which keep popping up in the most surprising places. Although aimed at a younger audience than that of Inkworld, its gentle humor and playful use of fantasy and chivalric conventions will appeal to a wide range of readers. Igraine herself is a familiar character --- the young girl who must find her own path when she feels out of place in the world she is born into --- but she is portrayed with compassion and sensitivity. Heavily illustrated with Funke's own whimsical, cartoon-like drawings, IGRAINE THE BRAVE would make an excellent read-aloud book for younger readers as well as an ideal adventure story for newly-minted fantasy fans. --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Today I am reviewing one of my favorite books called Igraine the Brave. The author of Igraine the Brave is Cornelia Funke. My book takes place in kind of a fairy-tale setting with castles and plains and woods. The main character of my book, as you may have already guessed, is Igraine. The book starts on her twelfth birthday. Also, there is her brother Albert, her two parents, and a nasty, chubby man named Osmond. In this story, Igraine wants to become a knight, but her parents have had a hard mistake with their magic abilities. So she must set off on a journey to help them regain their rightful shape. But when she returns, something awful has happened to the castle. My favorite part of the book was probably the end. This book does not start very exciting, but as any person that reads all the time will know, it gives you a very good feeling. This book is suspenseful, entertaining and, in the end, surprising. Although anyone can read this book, I don't really recommend it for boys, and I think girls ages 9 through 12 should read this book. I think this is a book that will stand out in your memory, so, Read It!! By Rosalind

Cornelia Funke's IGRAINE THE BRAVE tells of a nearly-twelve-year-old who dreams of becoming a famous knight, but life at the family castle is boring - until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. Osmund plans to capture the castle and steal Igraine's magic singing books just as her parents mistakenly turn themselves into pigs. What more could go wrong? Young leisure readers will love the zany aspect of this story.