Customer Reviews

Igraine the Brave

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cornelia Funke is one of my favorite writers for children and young adults. In 2006 The Thief Lord found life in film, and in 2008, Helen Mirren will star in my favorite Cornelia Funke novel, Ink Heart. Ms. Funke is German-born and crossed the pond in 2005 to reside in the United States with her children.

Igraine is the daughter of the great magicians Melisande and Sir Lamorak the Wily of Pimpernael Castle and sister to Albert, magician in training. Igraine is the only member of her family who is not interested in magic. Her interest lies in becoming an accomplished and famous knight. Alas, an impossible fete for a girl living in her time.

Life isn't terribly exciting at Pimpernael castle. There have been no attacks since Igraine was born. But life at the castle is about to change. Osmund, nephew of the Baroness of Darkrock, has plans to attack the castle and steal the famous Singing Books of Magic.

Just before Igraine's twelfth birthday, there is a slight problem with a spell-and her parents turn into pigs. As pigs they are unable to make magic. But parents-turned-pigs don't dampen Igraine's birthday celebration. She is delighted with her gift of a silver suit of armor, complete with helmet.

But life turns serious in short order. Osmund is on the march and all are in peril. With the help of a Giant, a Sorrowful Knight, Sisyphus the cat (who is able to speak after a sprinkling of red magic powder) and brother Albert, Igraine will attempt to defeat Osmund.

Igraine the Brave is the retelling of a Night's Tale with a twist. It's a delightful story filled with whimsy, magic and fantasy. The good are really good and the bad are evil. Courage and determination are celebrated and hope is never far away. Middle Readers will enjoy curling up with this book, and I think that it's a great book to read to the younger children.

Armchair Interviews says: Igraine the Brave is a must read. And check out Cornelia Funke's other novels. They are stunning.

Story overview:

Soon to be twelve years old, Igraine eagerly awaits her birthday present. Even though she insists on being a knight, she doesn't hesitate to accept gifts made from magic. Her mother, father, and brother worked on her gift with the help of some special magical books.

During the process, Igraine's parents were accidentally turned into pigs. This wouldn't be so bad except that (1) they could not use magic in pig form, (2) they needed giant's hair in order to be turned back, and (3) their old castle suddenly fell under siege by a man named Osmond who took over the castle next-door. Osmond's desire was to capture the magical books and become the most powerful wizard in the world.

Igraine goes on a quest to find giant hairs while her brother stays back at the castle to fend off the intruders (with the aid of the magic books and the castle's defenses.) On her journey, Igraine comes in contact with the Sorrowful Knight of the Mount of Tears, and the two travel back to hopefully save the day.

My thoughts:

To be honest, after I started to read Igraine The Brave, I ended up putting it down and letting it sit on the pile for awhile. Why? Because the beginning forced a lot of explanatory narrative onto the reader, which in my opinion, is completely unnecessary. But once I got past that part, it didn't take long for me to appreciate the story (I recommend starting with Chapter 1 and then going back to the preface once you have finished the book.) Wonderfully designed characters (especially the cat, Sisyphus,) a neatly designed fantasy world, fun personalities, great situations of tension, and the story is creatively magical. It is also easy to read and the writing style is of good quality. A great book for lovers of fairy tales.

Things to consider:

Great for girls and boys; ages nine to twelve (and younger if you read it to them.) No questionable content in the form of sexual situations, foul language, or dark themes. Even the violent scenes are quite tame. The one thing that may be considered disturbing to some children is when the knights get turned into fish and the cat has them for a light snack. Honestly, this is funny, but some children might take it seriously. Overall a great family book that is bound to become a favorite during story time.

James D. Maxon
[...]

Today I am reviewing one of my favorite books called Igraine the Brave. The author of Igraine the Brave is Cornelia Funke. My book takes place in kind of a fairy-tale setting with castles and plains and woods. The main character of my book, as you may have already guessed, is Igraine. The book starts on her twelfth birthday. Also, there is her brother Albert, her two parents, and a nasty, chubby man named Osmond. In this story, Igraine wants to become a knight, but her parents have had a hard mistake with their magic abilities. So she must set off on a journey to help them regain their rightful shape. But when she returns, something awful has happened to the castle.

My favorite part of the book was probably the end. This book does not start very exciting, but as any person that reads all the time will know, it gives you a very good feeling. This book is suspenseful, entertaining and, in the end, surprising. Although anyone can read this book, I don't really recommend it for boys, and I think girls ages 9 through 12 should read this book. I think this is a book that will stand out in your memory, so, Read It!!

By Rosalind

I bought this book for our daughter who is very young but a rather advanced reader. She LOVED it and couldn't put it down. It is her very favorite book and always keeps it close. The story is zany and very sweet. I would recommend this book to any parent who wants to keep there children innocent in literature, there is so much dark material these days. This book is a sure bet for any kid who loves funny, sweet, crazy adventures:)

Cornelia Funke's IGRAINE THE BRAVE tells of a nearly-twelve-year-old who dreams of becoming a famous knight, but life at the family castle is boring - until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. Osmund plans to capture the castle and steal Igraine's magic singing books just as her parents mistakenly turn themselves into pigs. What more could go wrong? Young leisure readers will love the zany aspect of this story.

Funke, Cornelia. Igraine the Brave. Scholastic Inc. 2007, c1998

This book adeptly combines fantasy and humor and it was great fun to read. Twelve-year old Igraine lives in Pimpernel Castle with her family who use and guard the "Singing books of Magic." She is terribly bored, "nothing exciting ever happens here." Her parents and brother are magicians but she wants to become a knight and have some adventures. She already wears the too large mail shirt that belonged to her great-great-grandfather and practices her sword skills with a dummy that she magically brings to life whenever she needs an opponent. It is the day before her birthday, and her parents and brother are working in the Enchanted Tower making a present for her when unexpectedly, a friend gallops in with the news that Osmund the Greedy wants the magic books and is going to attack the castle and, if this is not bad enough, shortly a magic mistake turns her parents into pigs. To change back to human form, Igraine's parents need hair from a giant so Igraine sets off to find a giant. She gets the hair and also meets the "Sorrowful Knight of the Mount of Tears" who returns with her to help save the castle from attack. Black and white illustrations created by the author are found throughout the book. 4th-6th graders, mostly girls I suppose, will giggle their way through this quick read.

Cornelia Funke has a winner with Igraine the Brave. Just right for the lovers of fairy tales, magic, or fantasy, on the sweeter side of "Harry Potter". Igraine is a spirited and loyal heroine, who uses her brain and her skills to help the people she cares about. The narrative was tight and engaging, with just enough whimsy to remind me of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles and some of Lloyd Alexander's light-hearted quest tales. This book is readable for any kid who can tackle the likes of Ramona Quimby or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Bought book for 9 year old daughter. I read it before her to discuss and really enjoyed it. My daughter loved the book too. Really cute story.

I just finished reading this book to my 8 year old daughter. My only complaint is that Cornelia Funke hasn't written a sequel because we couldn't get enough of this fast paced narrative with its wonderful heroine, Igraine. Igraine is brave, resourceful, independent and spirited and she moves through a lively plot with just enough suspense but no really scary bits.

Igraine is the perfect heroine. Smart, witty, brave, and independent she is the ideal role model for little girls everywhere. It doesn't matter that she is young or small, she manages to help save her family and her home from the invaders trying to steal the singing books of magic.

I heartily recommend this book for both girls and boys, and I'm sending my copy to my nieces in Texas to enjoy.