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Young readers book reviews for ages 8 to 12 years old




*Collinsfort Village* by Joe Ekaitis, illustrated by Nick Greenwood - young readers book review

 
 



 

Collinsfort Village
by Joe Ekaitis, illustrated by Nick Greenwood
Ages 7-12 155 pages Windriver Publications February 2006 Paperback    

Collinsfort Village is a great place to visit. This collection of stories featuring a bear, a griffin, and a dragon skips into the reader’s imagination with playfulness and creativity.

The people of this quaint little community don’t seem to mind that a seven-foot brown bear, appropriately named Bear, works for the telephone company repairing cables. Bear’s best friend and roommate - or more accurately, cavemate - is a griffin with a twenty-foot wingspan. Griff is a successful novelist with a serious interest in creating culinary masterpieces. Their mutual pal, Dorian, is a dragon with an artistic flair and a fear of flying. Together, they bring a dash of fun and adventure to this charming village.

There is a perfect combination of fantasy and reality in these pages. While the animal characters retain some of their species-specific traits, they are each endowed with enough human qualities to make them appealing. Young readers will giggle when Bear plays hopscotch with a group of girl, and wonder what the library story hour is like when Griff flies in to read to the children. Dorian’s reason for not taking to the skies provides a bit of mystery while evoking strong feelings of compassion and understanding.

There is a loose connection between these stories, with each having its own brand of adventure. The author deals with topics like friendship and courage, and the imaginative treatment of these subjects is both unusual and delightful. A young boy, Dennis Pearson, anchors young readers to reality while allowing them to enjoy the fantasy element through his life.

Author Joe Ekaitis has certainly put Collinsfort Village on the map!
   
Young readers book reviews for ages 8 to 12 years old

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  Joyce Handzo/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book  






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