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Book Review

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Publisher's Note:

Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents’ financial worries, he’s only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. Each day the mysterious Elphinore leads Clay down paths he never knew existed, deeper into the unknown. But they aren’t alone in their surreal adventures. There are traps and terrors in the woods, too, and if Clay isn’t careful, he might stray off the path and lose his way forever. With evocative black-and-white illustrations by Junyi Wu, National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson’s novelis heartfelt and exhilarating, wry and poignant, seamlessly merging the fantastic and the familiar in a tale both timely and timeless.…

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Elf Dog and Owl Head

by M.T. Anderson

Reviewer: Cindy M
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 9+

Overall Book Review:

In her award-winning book, Elf Dog and Owl Head, M.T. Anderson captures all the spirit and joy of classic children’s fantasy literature reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia with a nod to the local folklore. The setting is contemporary, during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, although COVID is never mentioned by name. There is a parallel fantasy world from which a dog passes over into the human world and the adventure begins. Clay and his sisters are frustrated, like everyone else in the world, with their enforced confinement at home. So, when Clay meets a mysterious and unusual dog in the woods behind his home, he is thrilled to have a companion to go on adventures with, and because Elphinore is no ordinary dog, these are no ordinary adventures. Clay is the primary character, but his siblings also become involved towards the end of the book.

The pacing is swift and the chapters short with many pencil illustrations to support the action. The writing style is charming, and this novel would make a excellent read aloud, or a great book for those readers transitioning away from chapter books. This is the kind of story that enraptures young readers because we would all like to be the child that finds a magical companion who whisks us away to wonders. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: Pack of hounds hunt creature and attack with intent to kill; creature intends to attack but is driven off; character and animal are severely injured (near death) in fight with creature, mention of blood and some description of wounds; verbal threats; animal is kicked and hit with a stick, treated harshly; character is knocked unconscious; characters are knocked over; animal chases other animals; individual eats an animal it catches.

Sex/Nudity: None

Mature Subject Matter:

Hunting for sport, COVI-19 lockdown, harsh treatment of animals, prejudice, family tensions, economic difficulties.

Alcohol/Drug Users:

Squirrel smokes a cigarette; at a party some characters sway as if they have had too much to drink.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
0
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
2
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
0
10

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About the Reviewer

Cindy M
An accountant and CPA by profession, I found myself a book reviewer for Squeaky Clean Reads by happenstance. When the opportunity came to transform that website into Compass Book Ratings, I was excited to seize it and meld my business background with my love of books. As the mother of three teenage sons, I have read a large number of children and young adult books and I believe that there is great value in a content review service. As much as we would love to read everything our children read, there just isn’t enough time. I also appreciate being able to select books for myself that are really worth my precious and limited reading time. I believe there is a book out there for everyone–they just have to find it!

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