Children’s Book Review: Not Ordinarily Borrowable
January 15, 2010 by Karlynn Johnston
Filed under Book Nook
Not Ordinarily Borrowable was a delightful surprise. I was incredibly impressed to find a book in the fantasy genre that featured a strong, decisive female character , and not only that, one that is written for a younger audience.
Maria is a scholarly girl, who is a hard worker and quite determined to finish her studies and become a doctor in her field. But there is a problem; when she goes to borrow the one book she needs to complete her studies, a dragon has smashed into the library and taken the book she needs.
What is a smart, capable girl to do, but take matters into her own hands and go after that devilish dragon?
Maria is adventurous, brave and knows how to solve her problems on her own, relying on her brain to figure out puzzles and solve her problems. She is wholeheartedly a heroine that I would like my daughter to admire and emulate. The story is engaging and exiting, and sure to thrill the kids in your household. It’s not overwhelmingly a “fantasy” book, simply a very good story about a girl and a dragon.
Reading level: ages 8+
Page Count: 106 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (September 17, 2009)
What to expect: a strong admirable female character, nothing scary, a funny twist at the ending, lessons of compassion, learning and friendship
Publisher’s synopsis: Maria is occupied with trying to earn her doctorate, and she’s far too busy for adventures. But when the library books she needs are unexpectedly borrowed (by a dragon) she finds herself on a quest to find the books, the dragon, a sword, courage, and the greatest cake recipe in the world… not to mention the last chapter of her thesis. An adventure for children of all ages.
About the Author: From Thomas Thurman’s site: ” Hi. I’m Thomas Thurman, though many people know me as Marnanel. I’m originally from Hitchin in England but am now often found around Pennsylvania with my family. I’m a programmer (you can read more about my life as a programmer) and a poet (you can read some of my work on this site). And I like chocolate.”
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