Into the Land of the Unicorns, by Bruce Coville

[rachelmanija]

I did not read this until now, and I typically am not very enthusiastic about young middle-grade books that I read for the first time as an adult. I love YA and the occasional sophisticated and older-aimed middle-grade novel, but books I would have adored when I was nine are often lost to me now. This one was typical: I can tell that I would have

Comments

[spectralbovine]

Man, I loved Bruce Coville back in the day. Goblins in the Castle! Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher! Jennifer Murdley's Toad! The Monster's Ring! Never read these unicorn books, though.

[rachelmanija]

Me too! He is a fantastic author for that age.

[erinlin]

I used to LOVE that book when I was nine, ironic because I never liked unicorns that much. But the excitement of the opening, the origin story for the war and the dragon totally won me over.

Then he took so long to write the second on I had grown out of the demographic by the time it came out. Wasn't the same. I still haven't read the last two, though I've been meaning too. Just for old times sake.

[dancing_crow]

Late to the game, but I want to recommend Coville as an author. He is absurdly prolific, and the books tend toward the slender, but I've found a kernel of truth and interest in almost all of them.

My favorites are the books about the Magic Shop. They are aimed at middle school kids; those clearly past elementary school but not yet into the angsty hormonal/social currents of high school. My absolute favorite of those is Skull of Truth. It tackles the topic of truth with gusto and humor, and touches on love, friendship and loss along the way. My daughters loved Jennifer Murdley's Toad and Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher better, I think because the idea of a dragon, or a toad talking to them was easier than a skull.