The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry

The Birthday Ball

By Lois Lowry

Illustrated by Jules Feiffer

You will have a BALL reading this...

By	Reading It All

This review is from: The Birthday Ball (Hardcover)

This is NOT the Lois Lowry of The Giver!!! In this light hearted romp, Lowry gives a modern twist to the classic role reversal fairy tales. Though the lessons learned are just as deep as any presented in The Giver, she gets you there in a laugh-out-loud story of self discovery.

With her sixteen birthday quickly approaching the beautiful and bored Princess Patricia Priscilla is lamenting her lot in life. Faced with a big decision...on her sixteenth she must choose a husband...the Princess changes places with her Chamber Maid.

The Princess learns to appreciate what she has, loses her heart to her people, finds love and learns to think for herself.

Lowry paints her characters vividly and children will be enchanted and laugh aloud at the disgusting line up of suitors. The great line drawings of the amazing Jules Feiffer bring these crazy characters to life!

In the Lowry tradition, The Birthday Ball is aimed at the Middle Grade/Tween Reader but would be a howling good "read aloud" with your older Elementary School children. Don't let the pretty princess cover dictate gender - this one is an energetic party that both boys and girls will be happy to attend.

Peter & Max: A Fables Novel

Bill Willingham (Author)

Steve Leialoha (Illustrator)

If you had told me a month ago that I would be reading a book where the Hero is Peter Piper and he is married to Bo Beep. They live just outside a town that is run by Snow White and Bigby Wolf and Rose Red is running back and forth with messages...it goes on.

But let me tell you reading this book has made me want to check into the graphic novels these characters come from...

With Peter & Max: A Fables Novel, Bill Willingham offers a story of siblings and the damning hatred that betrayal, revenge and jealousy can lead too. Peter and Max are brothers and it all starts when their father gives the Family Heirloom Pipes to Peter, bypassing Max - the eldest son.

Remember the Pied Piper of Hamlin? He rid Hamlin of their rats and when he wasn't paid he rid them of their children. Why would he commit such a heinous crime?

I felt that the seesaw back and forth between time frames was distracting at times - but not to the point where I even considered putting the book down. All in all I really enjoyed this book and have great respect for someone who could hand me a book with this plot and make me love it.

One of the reasons you really need to pick up this book is the beautifully illustrated interpretations of the story by Steve Leialoha they are nothing short of inspirational.

I am off to check out Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile - I think this is a world I want to get further into.

PProduct Description from Amazon:

A new stand-alone FABLES NOVEL from award-winning and wildly acclaimed author, Bill Willingham.

This story stars Peter Piper and his incorrigible brother Max in a tale about jealousy, betrayal and revenge. Set in two distinct time periods, prepare to travel back to medieval times and learn the tragic back-story of the Piper family, a medieval-era family of traveling minstrels. Then, jump into the present to follow a tale of espionage as Peter Piper slowly hunts down his evil brother for a heinous crime, pitting Peter's talents as a master thief against Max's dark magical powers.

Based on the long-running and award-winning comic book series FABLES, PETER AND MAX is its own tale. Readers don't have to be familiar with the comics to fully enjoy and understand this book.