Emerald Atlas

I have been AWOL lately, applying to grad schools. I just graduated with my undergraduate degree in history in December. The freedom did not set in until I realized I could take a stack of books home & read whatever I wanted! 

I decided to start with some books that one of my favorite tween patrons recommended to me. Judging by the title of this post, I bet you can guess what I read! That is right, it is The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. 



 If you get nothing out of this post, please walk away with just this:

Tween you & Me Reader's Advisory Tip- This is a perfect read alike for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia. 

That is correct, if you love Chronicles of Narnia, you will love this book. 


Quick Book Talk 

It is a fantasy book about 3 orphan children.  There is 2 girls and one desperate middle child boy. There names are Kate, Michel, and Emma. Ever since their parents left them mysteriously one Christmas night, they have been moved to orphanage to orphanage. Finally, they are sent to a strange orphanage run by a mysterious man in Cambridge falls. One day, while exploring, Kate and her siblings find a book. They quickly discover that the book has the ability to go through time. The kids are accidentally sent to a time in Cambridge Falls when magic was apart of the real world. While there, the trio run into an evil sorceress. The kids try to escape, but not knowing how to use the book's magic, 
Kate and her sister are separated from her brother, Micheal. Kate must figure out how to go back into time to save her brother & find secrets as to why her parents left those 10 years ago. 

This is the 1st book in a three part series. Each book is centered on a different sibling. Each child will  find a different magical book.  The author John Stephens previously worked on  popular TV shows like the O.C. and Gilmore Girls. So expect it to be amazing! 

What I enjoyed most about this book is the fantasy. It had all of the best fantasy elements. It had magic, elves, and dwarfs. It was plot driven and a wonderful book for any adventure fantasy lover! 

I especially loved the relationship between the siblings. The relationships were strong, but they were changing. It was an excellent example of how relationships grow and develop & how important forgiveness is. 

Overall, I would give this book a 5 star rating!  You should go give it to all of your fantasy loving tweens. :)