Bullies beware! In the town of Blue Wing, Minn., on the banks of the Mississippi River, 12-year-old Claire watches with fascination as her mean cousin Duke grows a rhinoceros horn after throwing Claire and her pet turtle off a bridge. Debut novelist Helgerson, through the heroine's first-person narration, does a remarkable job of making the magical goings-on seem completely plausible. The old woman who rescues Claire from the river, for instance, explains that only bullies who fall into that particular section of the river will grow a horn (Duke winds up getting tossed into the water himself); each month, rock trolls put a potion in the river to cause the physical change, then collect the bullies. The only way to reverse the spell is to perform a genuine act of kindness-and promptly, or the afflicted will transform into a wrinkly rhinoceros. It turns out that these horns have plagued Claire's family for generations; even the medical community is aware of these "rivery" effects. As with most memorable enchanted tales, it's up to the children to reverse the curse, and Claire asks in exchange for a good deed of her own. This likable heroine, full of spunk and tenacity, unspools her lively account at a quick pace, and quirky characters such as Bodacious Deepthink, the Great Rock Troll, add plenty of pizzazz. Nicoletti's half-tone chapter openers combine meticulous detail with fuzzy shadings, contributing to this charming book's paradoxical success as a thoroughly believable fantasy in which magic and the real world co-exist. Ages 9-12. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
As her cousin Duke-the bully of Blue Wing, Minnesota-dangles her precariously from a steel bridge 20 feet above the flood-swollen Mississippi, Claire doesn't expect to softly land on a passing boat or to see Duke floundering in the river. And yet as these unlikely events-and more-suddenly begin to happen, some in the sleepy river town don't seem at all surprised. But when a rhino's horn suddenly sprouts from Duke's face and his parents turn to stone, 12-year-old Claire decides to take action. Tracking down trolls and convincing them to reverse a curse, however, may not be as easy as she thinks. Garnering starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, Joseph Helgerson's debut novel Horns Wrinkles is a captivating American fantasy that features a "touch of the Pinocchio effect" (School Library Journal) and a tenacious, likable heroine whose understated eloquence makes this endearing tale "thoroughly believable" (Publishers Weekly). "Tongue-in-cheek humor brings a delightful zing to the playfully inventive storytelling and fast-paced plot . A new Mississippi River fable has been born."-School Library Journal, starred review
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Horns and Wrinkles
As her cousin Duke-the bully of Blue Wing, Minnesota-dangles her precariously from a steel bridge 20 feet above the flood-swollen Mississippi, Claire doesn't expect to softly land on a passing boat or to see Duke floundering in the river. And yet as these unlikely events-and more-suddenly begin to happen, some in the sleepy river town don't seem at all surprised. But when a rhino's horn suddenly sprouts from Duke's face and his parents turn to stone, 12-year-old Claire decides to take action. Tracking down trolls and convincing them to reverse a curse, however, may not be as easy as she thinks. Garnering starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, Joseph Helgerson's debut novel Horns Wrinkles is a captivating American fantasy that features a "touch of the Pinocchio effect" (School Library Journal) and a tenacious, likable heroine whose understated eloquence makes this endearing tale "thoroughly believable" (Publishers Weekly). "Tongue-in-cheek humor brings a delightful zing to the playfully inventive storytelling and fast-paced plot . A new Mississippi River fable has been born."-School Library Journal, starred review
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940170994083 |
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Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 01/23/2009 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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