Customer Reviews

The Lost Secret of Fairies: The Crystal Keepers Chronicles: Book 1

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4 star:		(1)
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Book One of Tiffany Turner's Crystal Keeper Chronicles series, "The Lost Secret of Fairies" follows elementary school student Wanda as she discovers that the world of fairies is real and that somehow she has become the Crystal Keeper, the human caretaker of the world of fairies. They grow ill from the pollution that is so plentiful in the human world and now Wanda must find the cure, while answering the assorted questions that have struck her as she falls into this predicament. "The Lost Secret of Fairies" is highly recommended for children's book shelves as the perfect bridge from picturebooks to young adult novels. Children 7-11 will love it.

"The Lost Secret of Fairies" is a wonderful tale about an average fifth grade girl who gets recruited to protect the Fairies and guard their entrances. What child or teenager wouldn't want to be in her place? With its vivid, beautiful descriptions and realistic dialog, this book allows children (and open minded adults) to transport themselves into the Fairy world where they can trek through crystal caves and seek advice from their pet cat.
Tiffany Turner does a wonderful job of getting into a fifth-graders mind. This is an author who clearly understands children and uses that knowledge to great effect. "The green pointy-eared guy raised an eyebrow. I wonder if he knows who Spock is? They could be brothers."
I especially loved dialog with the cat. Brew is very much your typical house cat, with all the arrogance and peeves that make him a hilarious and lovable character. I also found the modernized peter-pane story a little funny and odd since I had trouble imagining a 17 year old peter pan running away from college.
I wish the story had had slightly fewer environmentalist undertones, but that is my biggest personal complaint. Otherwise, the major themes are faith in your own abilities to think through problems and in power of the imagination.
This was a very fun book to read, even for an adult like myself, and I'm sure many a child will be fully enthralled in its magic.

Tiffany Turner's THE LOST SECRET OF THE FAIRIES is a fanciful tale which conjures up visions of a world of crystals and fairies, shadow creatures, and human interaction with both. I especially loved that once Wanda had become the Crystal Keeper for the Fairies, her pet cat Brewford began to communicate thoughts to her. Don't we all know our pets would have much to say if they could! And Brew's wisdom aided Wanda greatly as she sought to find the spring water tonic to cure the ailing fairies, and to enter the Shadow World in search of the kidnapped Queen of the Fairies. Also intriguing was the idea that the fairies often had animal forms in the human world. Who knows about the animals we come across...might they be fairies in animal form? The connection between the evil shadow world being facilitated by the increase of pollution on Earth was also clever and timely. The final resolution, for Keepers who may outgrow their belief in fairies, revolved around their responsibility as adults to work for healing our Earth, in laws, politics, books, and so forth, thus continuing to aid the fairies and to save the Earth. Wanda's experience as Keeper left her more confident and strong, and willing to believe in herself.

Written in first person, Wanda tells of her introduction to the Fairy Realm, her becoming the Keeper of the Fairies, and her quests to help the fairies. The author includes many details to help the reader imagine each scene and the feelings within the heroine, feelings common to many as they struggle with feelings of inadequacy. This book would be especially appealing to late elementary school and middle school students.

The Lost Secret of Fairies: The Crystal Keepers Chronicles: Book 1 is an excellent children's fantasy book. From the start, I was swept up by the witty prose and engaging storyline. It didn't hurt that this book has a message or two thrown in for good measure. With all the vile media that is forced fed to children nowadays, it's nice to see a book that tries to instill good values in children. I think it's notable to mention that this is the kind of book that encourages children to read. Not surprising since the author is grade school teacher.

The Lost Secret of Fairies has plenty of magic and interesting characters to read about such as the Queen of the Fairies and Brewford the Cat Sorcerer. I think having a young girl (Wanda) as the lead character is an added bonus, especially considering that heroic girls are sorely underrepresented as the main character in the fantasy genre.

I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys to read and in particular those children who love to dream of other worlds. It's sure to captivate its readers and leave them clamoring for the sequel.

This book is for children who want a break from their daily lives. Just like the main character, Wanda, they too can escape into the world of the Crystal Keepers. Turner skillfully describes fantastical scenes, but also creates a really relatable main character. Wanda takes us on her adventures, while sharing with readers what is on her mind every step of the way. One of the best parts of this book is that it's part of a series! Wanda's adventures continue...

"The Lost Secret of Fairies" is a fun tween adventure tale with worthy character lessons and social awareness tucked between the lines. When young Wanda is introduced to the fairy realm and becomes the new Keeper, she is caught in a classic struggle of good vs evil. Along the way she faces many challenges, especially her own fears. Tiffany Turner provides a fast-paced story that builds an imaginative fairy realm, yet reminds young readers of the importance of protecting Mother Earth. A good present for young blossoming readers.