About the Author

Sharon Creech has written twenty-one books for young people and is published in over twenty languages. Her books have received awards in both the U.S. and abroad, including the Newbery Medal for Walk Two Moons, the Newbery Honor for The Wanderer, and Great Britain's Carnegie Medal for Ruby Holler.

Before beginning her writing career, Sharon Creech taught English for fifteen years in England and Switzerland. She and her husband now live in Maine, "lured there by our grandchildren," Creech says.

www.sharoncreech.com

Reviews

Gr 3-6-Creech has created a story in the style of a classic fairy tale, but one without fairies or witches or magic. It does have two orphans, Pia and Enzio, whose master calls them "dirty beetles"; a king and queen with three children-each of whom is a caricature of a typical royal offspring; two hermits; and a storyteller. Stories are important royal entertainment, but they also fill (and fuel) the imagination of the orphans, the royal siblings, and even the king himself. When Pia and Enzio find a stolen pouch filled with an odd assortment of items that seem to belong to the king, they are drawn into an adventure that brings them to the castle, where instead of being thrown into the dungeon as they feared, they are made tasters to His Highness. The king's imagination has run wild since he heard that a thief is on the loose in his kingdom, and it was suggested that he might be in danger. Since Pia and Enzio have not been taught to behave as servants, they don't. It's all a good-natured, rollicking romp with all of the parties learning a great deal about themselves, and, in the end, the Castle Corona is a livelier and more interesting place. Creech plays with the fairy-tale form and makes it her own, exaggerating here and there, using creative language, and poking fun at stuffiness and pretension. Diaz's illustrations capture the feeling of medieval illuminations, and their formal stiffness is a perfect counterpoint to Creech's satisfying tale.-Barbara Scotto, Children's Literature New England, Brookline, MA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

colorfully adorned with intricate designs that loosely recall illuminated manuscripts, Newbery Medalist Creech's (Walk Two Moons) protracted fairy tale traces how two orphaned peasants come to rub elbows with royalty. "Long ago and far away," Pia and her younger brother, Enzio, discover a leather pouch marked with the king's seal. Before they can understand the meaning of the objects inside, the two children are whisked off to the Castle Corona to become "tasters" for a king fearful of being poisoned. There Pia and Enzio become acquainted with a spoiled princess and two young princes (one dreams of being a poet; the other wants to become a mighty warrior). As befits the genre, the author uses broader strokes than usual to define her characters. Members of the royal family are hopelessly out of touch with their subjects and busy themselves with tradition. Country folk and castle servants are more grounded and resourceful. Nonetheless, as royalty and peasant children intermingle inside the castle walls, perspectives broaden and the complexity of individual personalities comes to light. The playful tone and gentle criticism of aristocracy can be engaging, in much the same way that Creech's warmth and easy humor work well in her slice-of-life novels, but the fairy-tale genre raises expectations that go unmet. Readers may pine for a liberal sprinkling of magic and a more exciting climax before the conventional happily-ever-after ending. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.