Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2015 Gr 4–6—When young Susanna Louisa foolishly sells Rudi's cow for some magic beans, anyone can see it's a bad trade. So he quickly tries to make amends by tracking the buyer down before she lays claim to the cow, only to find she has vanished. After consulting his beloved Oma, Rudi is instructed to seek out the Brixen Witch, their village's formidable and silent guardian. Glad for the social call, just not at the expense of his own error, Rudi visits the strange old woman in her isolated mountain home, taking Susanna Louisa along for company. Magic must not cross borders in this enchanted world, so the pair is sent to return the beans to the kingdom of Petz before the sorcerer Giant notices them gone. Getting there is simple enough after a magic bean provides a shortcut, but returning home proves challenging due to the nasty warlord's enchantment preventing anyone or thing from leaving his realm. This companion to The Brixen Witch (S. & S., 2013) retells the Jack story with an interesting twist. This is a tale of an oppressed people wherein a brave trio of youngsters overcomes an unfair tyrant, who turns out to be just a man after all. Readers unfamiliar with the first book can quickly immerse themselves in this adventure, as it reads very well on its own. DeKeyser creates an interesting world where steadfast rules must be obeyed so as not to upset the precarious balance between the magical and the ordinary. A clever blend of folkloric elements with fast-paced action.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2015 In this follow-up to The Brixen Witch (BCCB 7/12), Rudi willingly seeks the witch’s counsel once more when a mysterious girl from neighboring Petz brings magic beans into the town borders-and Rudi’s neighbor, the precocious Susanna Louisa, trades Rudi’s father’s cow for them. With Susanna Louisa in tow, Rudi must journey to ever-frozen Petz to return the beans to that village’s witch, a giant who has stolen summer all for himself, before the misplaced magic starts misbehaving. A beanstalk, the reappearance of the mysterious girl, Agatha, and the rules governing magic make his journey a perilous one, but twelve-year-old Rudi again rises to the challenge. Readers will enjoy identifying the folkloric references that DeKeyser seamlessly combines with elements of the Old World, such as the town’s weekly market and its apprentice-taking blacksmith. The thoughtful exploration and explanation of magic, nuanced understanding of the pitfalls of power and popularity, and insightful treatment of Rudi’s coming of age create an original and heartfelt novel that, while atmospheric, remains enjoyably untethered to specific time and place. Effectively coupling quiet reflection and suspenseful action, this well-paced story and its cast of believable characters-from the admirable Rudi to the pesky Susanna Louise to the strong-willed Agatha-might just work magic as a classroom readaloud. AA - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.