Liesl & Po [Hardcover]

Lauren Oliver (Author), Kei Acedera (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011 | Age Range: 8 and up | Lexile Measure: 830L (What's this?)

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wonderfully imaginative, startlingly moving and at times wickedly funny fantasy. With nods to Dahl, Dickens, the Grimms and even Burnett, the author has made something truly original. Acedera’s frequent black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement. An irresistible read: This book sings.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

“Classic fairy tale elements weave throughout this spirited, old-fashioned adventure. Invigorating and hopeful, this novel testifies to the power of friendship and generosity to conquer greed and depression.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“With her third book, Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall; Delirium) creates another highly original world, this one for middle-grade readers. Oliver introduces orphans Liesl and Will, a touch of magic, some delectable coincidences, and friendship that stretches from the Living Side to the Other Side.” (Shelf Awareness )

“A gorgeous story--timeless and magical.” (Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me )

“Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver brings much-needed magic to an increasingly neglected age group. It’s books like this, with its classic quest plot, intertwined with lyrical metaphysics, that can set a child up for life.” (The Sunday Telegraph )

“An absolute delight...Although aimed at younger readers, the lightness of touch and the tenderness of the message could make grown men weep.” (Daily Mail (London) )

Praise for Before I Fall:“Oliver’s debut novel is raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful....readers will love Samantha best as she hurtles toward an end as brave as it is heartbreaking.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

Praise for Before I Fall:“Samantha’s attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review) )

Praise for Before I Fall:“Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel...This is a compelling book with a powerful message and should not be missed.” (ALA Booklist )

Praise for Before I Fall:“This story races forward, twisting in a new direction every few pages, its characters spinning my emotions from affection to frustration, anger to compassion. You’ll have no choice but to tear through this book!” (Jay Asher, author of the New York Times bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why )

Praise for Before I Fall:“Before I Fall is smart, complex, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Lauren Oliver has written an extraordinary debut novel about what it means to live—and die.” (Carolyn Mackler, author of Tangled and The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, a Printz Honor book )

Praise for Delirium:“In [Oliver’s] dystopian America, love has been outlawed as the life-threatening source of all discord. Lena’s gradual awakening is set against a convincing backdrop of totalitarian horror. The abrupt ending leaves enough unanswered questions to set breathless readers up for volume two of this trilogy.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

Praise for Delirium:“Strong characters, a vivid portrait of the lives of teens in a repressive society, and nagging questions that can be applied to our world today make this book especially compelling and discussable.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )

About the Author

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She followed that up with Delirium, the first book in her New York Times bestselling trilogy, which continued with Pandemonium. Oliver is also the author of Liesl & Po, a book for middle-grade readers, which received three starred reviews and was described as "a gorgeous story—timeless and magical" by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU's MFA program, Lauren Oliver lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006201451X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062014511
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She followed that up with Delirium and Pandemonium, the first two books in her bestselling trilogy, which concludes with Requiem. Delirium has been optioned for film by Fox 2000 Pictures. Oliver is also the author of two luminous novels for middle-grade readers, The Spindlers and Liesl & Po, which was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU's MFA program, Lauren Oliver lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her online at www.laurenoliverbooks.com.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Oliver
www.lauren-oliver.tumblr.com

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#15 in Books > Teens

#15 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet ghost story for children September 6, 2011

By C. Widman VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Liesl and Po is a sweet fairy tale-esque tale for children (and young at heart adults). There's a dash of Cinderella (as Liesl is a lonely little girl who has been banished to the attic by her mean/evil stepmother) plus a taste of Dahl's Matilda- in the existence of mysterious magic and the madcap adventures. Liesl spends her days alone with only the dim memories of a former life and her sketchbook to keep her company. Will, the apprentice to the town's alchemist, has a lonely life too. He works for a crazy man who yells at him constantly saying that he is useless and worthless. So here you have two children who have no light in their depressing live. They have no family, or friends, or love, or hope. It's a pretty sad life, just as dark and dreary as the town they live in- with no sun, most crops are not able to survive- so they eat everything made of potatoes...

One day, Liesl meets Po, a ghost from the Other Side, a mysterious dimension of wandering souls that haven't moved on, and have lost most memories of their previous lives. They become shadows that don't even remember if they're male or female. Animals are indistinguishable from a cat or dog. Po and Liesl work together to escape the attic and bring Liesl's father's ashes to bury next to her mother's grave. But the box that they carry does not hold ashes but rather a great amount of magic. Will dropped off box of ashes to the Lady Premiere and box of magic to Liesl's stepmother. Will is chased out of town because of his mistake and crosses paths with Liesl. Now they work together to get their destination.

I didn't quite know what to expect with this story. After reading and enjoying Oliver's Delirium, I tried to read Before I Fall- and just couldn't get into it. Liesl and Po is a completely different type of story. It is targeted to children in grades 3-7, and there is really nothing objectionable- there are some words that the younger children may not understand but overall it is written well for that age group, though I think that it is best for grades 3-5. It does remind me of Roald Dahl's stories that have a whimsical feel but also of A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are "evil" characters but they are not scary characters. The Other Side could be a bit spooky for younger readers- who may question if that is real. But mostly it is a sweet story of the power of love and hope that concurs all- that brightens even the darkest days. I would recommend this book for children who like a touch of fantasy but may not be ready to jump into depth and darkness of Harry Potter. (For a book with illustrations, they don't add much to the story- they are so darkly shaded that at times it was hard to tell what the picture was supposed to be...)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical. A modern classic. October 6, 2011

By Alison

Format:Hardcover

When you look back to your childhood, what classic stories do you treasure? A Little Princess? The Secret Garden? Matilda? The books that linger in our memories as adults all seem to have a certain magic. Maybe the book actually is about magic or maybe it captures the figurative magic of childhood that we could bottle up as an elixir and drink. Liesl & Po is one of those magical books that children fifty years from now will love as much as children today.

Liesl & Po is a book of friendship and loneliness, of greed and generosity, of death and life. Liesl is mourning the death of her father and suffering alone in the attic, where her evil stepmother has locked her up. Alone that is until a ghost named Po shows up one night with his animal (maybe cat, maybe dog) named Bundle. Liesl needs Po to get in touch with her father. Po needs Liesl to reconnect with the living. Further away, Will walks the streets alone at night on errands for his boss, the Alchemist. He may not be locked up in an attic, but he is every much as trapped as Liesl. We watch as all three lives collide and then travel together in an exciting and heartwarming adventure.

Lauren Oliver created three fabulous characters. Liesl seems the essence of naivete as she sits in the attic not questioning her stepmother's actions. But we soon learn that she is creative, stubborn, and brave as she pushes Po to find her father and eventually escapes the attic. Po is by far my favorite character. It is young yet it is not. It has the knowledge and arrogance of an eternal soul, but expresses itself in the manner of a petulant child. Will is clumsy, somewhat immature, and has the insecurity of an abused child. Yet he is also kind, loyal and goofy.

With the exception of the Guard and Liesl's father, the adults are villains. Rather cardboard villains driven by greed and insensitive to the lives of others. One could argue the flat characters is a flaw of the book. Instead, I would say that many classic children's novels, particularly those by Roald Dahl, have simple villains and are still beloved. Similarly, the plot all gets cleaned up into a nice and tidy box by the end. There are certainly twists along the way, but it stays within the traditional fairy tale story model. There are a few elements that could have been explored further, particularly the guard's sister, but these are less important side plots.

The highlight of Liesl & Po is the writing. The prose is itself magical. Her words evoke all the emotions the characters are trying to display. Sadness, anger, embarrassment, hope. And they flow so smoothly that I felt like I was flying throughout the novel. The book is wonderful read in silence but would be even better read aloud. I love Lauren's young adult novels, but I think she could easily stay in the middle grade realm forever. Lauren does a wonderful job of incorporating the themes of death, closure, and healing. The simple sweetness of the novel will stay with me for a long time.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely. September 3, 2011

By Madame X TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I usually skip the forwards to books, but this one caught my attention and now I'm a little perplexed. I honestly don't know how I'd feel about Liesl & Po if I hadn't read the forward. Differently, for sure. Maybe I'd like it just as much. But reading the forward makes the book so much more poignant that even when I noticed something that might irritate me elsewhere - a heap of coincidences, for example - I didn't mind.

Liesl & Po is pure and strange in the way of fairy tales, beautiful even when it's grim, bursting with wonder and deep feeling. The characters aren't fully fleshed but they're vibrantly alive, and the trio of protagonists - the titular Liesl & Po, as well as the alchemist's apprentice, Will - are darling and easy to root for.

The book is about Liesl's journey to lay her father's ashes to rest by her mother's grave - except that, thanks to Will, she doesn't have her father's ashes. Unbeknownst to Liesl, she's carrying a box of very powerful magic. Things move along from there, with a whole crowd of people converging on the Red House, where the grave is located, all at once, and all wanting something. The story is simple but it contains some unexpected revelations - why did Liesl's stepmother lock her in the attic? What is this powerful magic, and how did the alchemist make it? Why is the Lady Premiere so upset by the smell of cabbage? Is Bundle the ghost a dog or a cat?

The book has some unexpected humor as well. Po's grumpiness can be hilarious. One side-effect of the tragic loss of sunlight in Liesl & Po's world is that most crops won't grow, leaving people to subsist on potatoes...which is pretty grim, yes, but I still laughed every time I read about eating a potato donut.

This is a marvelous book, highly recommended for young readers and for adults who want to feel young.