“THE GIRL IN THE TOWER,” by Lisa Schroeder and Nicoletta Ceccoli, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), March 29, 2016, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl with long, dark hair who lived in a tower. The tower was not special — even though it was part of a castle — save for housing Violet and her mother. Shortly after Violet’s birth, the evil Queen Bogdana locked mother and daughter in the tower, waiting for the day Violet would be old enough to bring the queen her greatest wish — beauty.
A unexpected visit from the queen comes as Violet nears her 11th birthday. Bogdana will adopt Violet and train her to become a real princess. But there’s a catch — Violet must say goodbye to her mother forever and give up hope of ever finding her father. It’s up to Violet to make things right, and time is running out.
“The Girl in the Tower” is a charming little fairy tale. It’s the story of a clever little girl whose imagination knows no bounds. How refreshing to come upon a middle-grade fairy tale in which the main character isn’t a princess and doesn’t want to be one. Family is what’s most important to her, and she’s willing to fight for it.
Author Lisa Schroeder’s prose has an airiness to it that compliments Violet’s disposition, making this tale much lighter than some of its other fairy tale counterparts. What makes “The Girl in the Tower” even more special is the accompanying illustrations by Nicoletta Ceccoli. Her whimsical touch adds just the right amount of quirkiness and love.
