Falcon in the Glass by Susan Fletcher

302 pgs.
Target audience: Middle Reader
Rating: Wizard

In the late fifteenth century on the island of Murano, Italy, Renzo longs to be a glassmaker like his father before him. When his father is murdered, Renzo’s only option is to work as a drudge in his uncle’s studio until he can prove his glassmaking skills enough to pass a test in just two weeks. If he fails not only are his dreams shattered but along with it any hope of supporting his mother and sister. He spends every night at the glassworks practicing but he cannot do it alone. One night he meets a young girl, Letta, and her falcon. she belongs to a group of children persecuted as witches by the Doge for their uncanny bond with birds. In exchange for food and shelter he convinces Letta to stay at the glassworks each night and help him prepare for his test. Before he knows it he’s got the whole lot of bird children hiding in the studio. Renzo must juggle between his glassblowing practice, keeping the Padrone happy, protecting his new secret family from the authorities, supporting his own family and the threat of a possible assassin. Faced with these seemingly impossible odds, Renzo turns to the glass he loves and with the children’s help creates something extraordinary. But will it be enough to save them all? The author uses her unique compassion and understanding of human-animal connections to create a realistic, heartwarming, gripping tale of secrets, betrayal, mystery and loyalty. The details of Venetian life and Murano glassmaking are vivid and flow naturally throughout the storyline. Recommend to fans of “The Glass Swallow” by Julia Golding. (This book was provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster).

 

Ancient, strange, and lovely by Susan Fletcher

315 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 8-12
Rating: Dragon

As long as Bryn can remember the members of her family have possessed the unique talent of kenning or communicating with birds. Each child receives a bird at the age of five, Bryn’s is a cockatiel named Stella. After Bryn’s biologist mother disappears while on a research mission in Alaska, her father leaves Bryn and her younger sister with their Aunt Penn while he goes off to find out what happened. Late one night a mysterious thumping noise coming from the basement sends Bryn and Stella exploring through boxes of research material sent from Alaska. Amongst them she finds an egg, a very large egg which produces a faint thrumming noise. This egg is connected to her mom and is perhaps why she suddenly vanished and must be kept secret from Aunt Penn, so Bryn confides in the only person she can trust, her mom’s lab assistant, Taj. When word gets out to the wrong people about this egg and what the creature might be, things spiral quickly out of control putting Bryn and her critter in terrible danger. She must get to Alaska and find her mom or someone who will help to protect the critter. Her schoolmate, Sasha, agrees to drive her up to a ferry in Washington. Because of her ability to ken with birds, Bryn and her baby dragon form a strong bond. This stand alone title in the “Dragon Chronicles” series written more than ten years after “The sign of the dove,” proves that the author is a true master of the dragon tale. Bryn is a brave, genuine, modern heroine, one whom young readers will love. The baby dragon is a character as real as any person and will tug at the heart strings. It is a wild ride which will have readers on the edge of their seats. (Book provided for review by Children's Lit  - www.childrenslit.com)