The Dyerville Tales

Gr 4–7—Every night in the orphanage, 12-year-old Vince Elgin recites the traumatic tale of how his house burned to the ground and he lost his parents. His father's body was never recovered and the boy secretly wonders if he is still alive and waiting for him somewhere. When news reaches Vince that his estranged grandfather has passed away, he is hopeful that he can attend the funeral and perhaps be reunited with his dad. His hopes are dashed when the headmistress denies his travel and instead gives him The Dyerville Tales, his grandfather's memoirs of a magical world. Determined to leave, Vince plots a daring and successful escape and the story begins in earnest. The chapters alternate between his struggle to reach the funeral and the fantastical tales within the memoirs. Regrettably, this is where the promising fantasy begins to unravel. Individually, the two story lines are engaging and full of adventure, but combined they become diluted and confusing. Lurching from one plotline to the next, the novel becomes bogged down in the story-within-a-story format and loses focus. With so many excellent fantasy titles to choose from, this is an optional purchase for libraries with a strong tween fantasy section.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI