  | Toymaker's apprentice Author: Smith, Sherri L. | |
| Price: $22.38 | ||
Summary:
Journeyman toymaker Stefan Drosselmeyer is recruited by his mysterious cousin, Christian, to find a mythical nut that will save Boldavia's princess and his own kidnapped father from a fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, who have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.
| Added Entry - Personal Name: | Hoffmann, E. T. A |
Download a Teacher's Guide| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.20 Points: 14.0 Quiz: 180992 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (07/15/15)
School Library Journal (+) (09/01/15)
Booklist (10/01/15)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/12/15)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 09/01/2015 Gr 4–6—Part Nutcracker with a dash of Pinocchio, this middle grade debut by YA author Smith is an absorbing tale of adventure, invention, family loyalty, and sly humor. Stefan Drosselmeyer and his father, a master toymaker, are in their home in Nuremberg grieving the recent loss of Stefan's mother. Enter flamboyant cousin Christian Drosselmeyer, who involves them in a perilous quest. Christian, the master clockmaker for the kingdom of Boldavia, was held responsible for a mouse uprising, and during a fight for the kingdom, the human princess was bitten by the maniacal Mouse Queen and turned into wood. The only known cure for her condition is a krakatook, a nut that is proving impossible to find. Before Stefan and Christian can return to the search in earnest, Stefan's father is kidnapped. The quest to find him and the krakatook and save Boldavia from the vengeful Mouse Queen and her seven-headed son while escaping with their lives is almost the undoing of the Drosselmeyers. Suspense builds as the chapters alternate between human and rodent perspective. Bursting with unforgettable characters of both species (and a few others), the novel rushes along to its inevitable final battle and enlightening conclusion. The author's note describes the connection to the original Nutcracker, which inspired Alexandre Dumas's retelling and the well-known ballet. VERDICT Fans of both genres will relish this highly recommended historical fantasy.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 10/01/2015 In this inventive fantasy, Smith imagines an elaborate backstory for events in the Nutcracker ballet. Stefan Drosselmeyer is a kind, clever Nuremburg lad whose father, a toymaker, is kidnapped and imprisoned in Boldavia. With advice and help from his older cousin Christian and their friend Samir, Stefan travels among the squirrels to the Pagoda Tree, where he discovers how to crack the nut that will break the deformity spell binding the Boldavian princess, in hopes of setting his father free. Meanwhile, in the rodent world, Ernst is an educated but down-on-his-luck rat who becomes tutor to the Mouse Queen’s heir, a seven-headed mouse princeling (later the Mouse King) who swears vengeance on Stefan after his mother’s death. It’s a great, sprawling story, elaborately plotted and brimful of elements such as a near-impossible quest, an apparent death overturned, and elaborate clockworks that keep the city running. While the many details and complications weigh the intertwined stories down, this full-tilt adventure will appeal to certain fantasy fans. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.
