The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler

Alice is a girl who lives in the real world.  She works hard at her studies, is very smart, and knows a lot of facts.  But when one night, she sees a fairy in her kitchen talking to (or threatening?) her father, her world gets turned around.  Then, when four days later, the boat her father is on sinks and she is sent to live with an Uncle Jerry she has never heard of, her world becomes upside down in a way she never imagined!

The Forbidden Library by Django Weller (Lexile: 920; Interest Level: Grades 4-6) follows the adventures of Alice as she discovers she is a Reader, a wizard of sorts with the power to enter into certain books and bind creatures to her to do her bidding.  She is both excited and concerned about the power that she discovers, and she is not sure who to trust to help her learn.  A wary friendship with a talking cat named Ashes and a love/ hate relationship with a boy named Isaac push her into strange situations where she needs all of her wits to protect herself.

I had some high hopes for this book, but I found it difficult to keep reading at times. I love the idea of Readers being magic, probably because I wish I was magical.  Other readers may find the fantasy fun of this book right up their alleys, but I don't think I will pick up the sequel. (373 p.)

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