Freya and the Magic Jewel (Thunder Girls #1)

by Joan Holub (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Thunder Girls
From the authors of the Goddess Girls series comes the first book in a brand-new series steeped in Norse mythology, magic, adventure, and friendship.

"Gold and Gullveig I cannot see. But here is a vision that comes to me; Adventure for you is about to start. Near Asgard you must find the heart. A Secret world there hides away, which holds the power to stop doomsday!"

When eleven-year-old Freya hears that prophecy from her magical jewel, she isn't sure what to make of it. Doomsday? She will find the key? Mere seconds after that prediction, she receives a mysterious invitation to Asgard Academy from the powerful Odin, who commands her to "bring her magic" to Asgard.

With encouragement from her twin, Frey, Freya reluctantly heads out on their new adventure. And Freya's first challenge begins before she even steps foot in Asgard. While trying to navigate the treacherous BiFrost Bridge, she drops her magical jewel off the bridge, and a sneaky pair of dwarves take her jewel down to the world of Midgard!

Without that jewel, Freya thinks she is powerless. But with the help of her pod-mates at Asgard, Freya discovers a world that is bigger and more mysterious that she ever imagined! There, she learns the true terror that Ragnarok--the doomsday her jewel warned her about--could mean for Asgard Academy if she and her new friends, the Thunder Girls, don't stop it!
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Kirkus

A frothy, occasionally scattered series starter to introduce the wide, entertaining mythological world.


School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--Freya, Norse goddess of love and beauty (here portrayed as a tween "girlgoddess"), has been summoned to Asgard Academy by Odin. Freya isn't nearly as excited as her twin brother, Frey; this was her year to be class president of Vanaheim Junior High and captain the ice-skating team. She loses her magic prophecy stone and now must contend with rude classmates and crushes. Despite the popularity of myth-based fiction, readers are likely to be disappointed to find a rather shallow main character who manages to solve every problem thrown her way with minimal effort. The plot moves swiftly, but the writing is bland (even with an abundance of exclamation points) and the dialogue stilted. While this may appeal to lovers of the "Goddess Girls" series, it lacks excitement and depth, perpetuating tired stereotypes about the way tween girls behave. VERDICT Purchase where "Goddess Girls" flies off the shelves, but skip otherwise.--Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St. Paul Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Joan Holub
Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated over 140 children's books, including the Goddess Girls series, the Heroes in Training series, the New York Times bestselling picture book Mighty Dads (illustrated by James Dean), and Little Red Writing (illustrated by Melissa Sweet). She lives in North Carolina and is online at JoanHolub.com.

Daniel Roode is an illustrator and designer who draws inspiration from his French heritage, mid-century modern design, pop art, and nature. Daniel creates the bulk of his art digitally, an appropriate medium for his clean yet tactile aesthetic that has a distinct joie de vivre. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his amazing wife Laura and their two funny cats.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481496407
Lexile Measure
740
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication date
May 01, 2018
Series
Thunder Girls
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV022030 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, & Fables | Norse
Library of Congress categories
Lost and found possessions
Lost articles
Friendship
Magic
Schools
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
Mythology, Norse

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