Birdie's Book (The Fairy Godmother Academy #1) [Paperback]

Jan Bozarth (Author), Andrea Burden (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 25, 2009 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: The Fairy Godmother Academy (Book 1)

Where do fairy godmothers come from?

When Birdie goes to visit her grandmother for the first time, she learns that her grandmother is a fairy godmother—which means Birdie's a fairy godmother too! Trained by fairies in a magical land called Aventurine, human fairy godmothers have been hidden protectors of the world for centuries. Birdie' s family talisman, a singing stone, has been broken, and now only Birdie can use the stone to travel to Aventurine to repair it.

When she gets there she meets Kerka, a warrior-like girl who has been sent to help her find the other half of the stone. Will Birdie and Kerka have the knowledge and strength to banish the shadow that has come over both the garden in Aventurine and Birdie's family? One thing's for sure—no one who travels to Aventurine will ever be the same again!

For girls who are fans of Harry Potter and have outgrown the Disney Fairies series and the American Girl books, the Fairy Godmother Academy is the perfect series—fantasy books filled with magic and adventure but grounded by contemporary girls and issues.

The series boasts an amazing Web site that allows girls to enter the world they visit in the books. There they can do activities both on- and offline, vote for things they'd like to see in the books, and connect with other Fairy Godmother Academy fans.

Join the Fairy Godmother Academy!
Visit the Web site for games, activities, and networking with friends!
www.fairygodmotheracademy.com

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–6—Shortly after her family moves from California to New York, 12-year-old Birdie decides that it is time to meet her maternal grandmother, from whom her mother has been estranged. Granny Mo turns out to be a warm and wonderful person who shares the child's love of plants. And as it turns out, they also share a deep family connection with the fairy world, called Aventurine. After Birdie inadvertently travels there, she meets Kerka, and together the girls attempt to rid an ancient and powerful tree of a life-destroying blight. Aventurine is filled with glamorous but uninteresting fairies, lovely scents, and flowers, and a magic wardrobe filled with the most fabulous clothes ever. Birdie's adventures here are uninspired and seem influenced by the online social network that is being marketed as the companion to this series opener. Rather, it is Birdie's growing relationship with her grandmother, her worries about her new life in New York, and her love of plants that ring most true and are the most enjoyable to read about, even if these sections are slower paced. Of possible interest to undemanding fairy fans.—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library END --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jan Bozarth danced in a ballet company at eleven, started a dream journal at thirteen, joined a surf club at sixteen, studied flower essences at eighteen, and went on to learn music, art, and poetry in college. As a girl she dreamed of a life that would weave these different interests together. Now she is a grandmother who writes stories and songs for young people and often works with her own adult children who are musicians and artists in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037585181X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375851810
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MomofGirl August 27, 2009

By MomofGirl

Format:Paperback

As a mother of a little girl I have to say that I was psyched to see see this book on the shelf. When doing every day battles with the likes of Barbie and Bratz this is like a breath of very fresh air. Not only does the author respect that young girls are smart, and interested in more than gossip and shopping, but that they are also inherently wise. This wisdom just needs to be tapped into and nurtured. A great read with just a right amount of fantasy and real world to keep your reader ripping through the pages!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't wait to share this with my daughter! August 26, 2009

By Leslie McLain

Format:Paperback

This is a wonderful book for girls that encourages inner strength, friendship, and making good choices. I am thrilled to introduce my daughter to this series that is thoughtful and fun. So much of what we see in the media sends our daughters in questionable directions- this hip, yet wholesome, tale is a breath of fresh air!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Faerie Pleasing November 6, 2009

By Shannon M. Mcgee

Format:Paperback

Birdie is a young girl who is visiting her mother's mom for the first time. There she finds out from her Gram that she comes from a long line of Fairy Godmothers, including her mother, who turned her back on the family history. Birdie learns she must go on a quest to bring the family back together.

The book enters the world of magic and dreamland so fast that you don't have much time to deny it. I like the idea of the series, which has a website [...] and cards within the books for each fairy godmother in training. These books are a step up from chapter books. So if your looking for the next step from Rainbow Magic Fairies or Disney Fairies books these would be a fine start.