by Diana Abu-Jaber (Author)
Fall under the spell of this fantasy-adventure story about a Lebanese-American girl who finds the courage to save her grandmother. Perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
Sitti, Sami's Lebanese grandmother, has been ill for a while, slipping from reality and speaking in a language only Sami can understand. Her family thinks Sitti belongs in a nursing home, but Sami doesn't believe she's sick at all. Desperate to help, Sami casts a spell from her grandmother's mysertious charm book and falls through an ancient mirror into a world unlike any other. Welcome to Silverworld, an enchanted city where light and dark creatures called Flickers and Shadows strive to live in harmony. But lately Flickers have started going missing, and powerful Shadow soldiers are taking over the land. Everyone in Silverworld suspects that Shadow Queen Nixie is responsible for the chaos, which is bad enough.
But could Nixie be holding Sami's grandmother in her grasp too? To save Sitti and Silverworld, Sami must brave adventure, danger, and the toughest challenge of all: change.
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An exciting fantasy with familiar elements—magical creatures, high stakes, and courage—rich with Lebanese texture.
Gr 3-5--Sami's Lebanese grandmother Sitti's health is declining, and she is saying things that only Sami seems to understand. Sami's father has died, and now her family wants to move Sitti into a home. But Sitti has always told Sami stories of magic, and the young girl believes that, with that magic, she can change things. When Sami falls through the old mirror in her room, she finds Silverworld. Believing that if she can save Silverworld from the invasive Shadow Queen Nixie, she can save Sitti, Sami embarks on a quest and finds she is more special than she ever thought. While this world is painted as a magical fantasy with dark Shadows, who talk and transform, and light Flickers, who have all colors of skin and hair, it feels rooted in reality. Readers may struggle to get lost in the magic. The book takes place in the modern world and has references to current issues, but lacks the depth to deliver a nuanced portrayal of the Bedouin and Arab cultures that are very much alive today, and not a romanticization limited to flowing clothes and golden headdresses. The occupants of Silverworld feel one-dimensional and inconsistent in a way that is distracting. There is also a lack of emotional intensity that these kinds of adventures usually elicit. While the author's note emphasizes the importance of story and giving a voice to those trying to fit between cultures, there are other examples of this done much more successfully. VERDICT Though this character gives a true meaning to the notion of living in two worlds, the story does not develop enough depth to make it a first purchase.--Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA
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