Description
Growing up entails many challenges, and the author Cornelia Funke addresses some of the fears and uncertainties that pre-adolescents face. The star of this challenging mystery is twelve-year-old Caspia, who is sadly uprooted from her familiar home and friends in rural Maine to the loud, crowded, and unfamiliar urban Brooklyn for several months. Mysteriously, she discovers a trove of seemingly ancient letters containing riddles about plants. Intrigued by these messages, the reader follows Caspia as she solves these botanical puzzles. But while she tries to decode the messages, she encounters various diverse individuals whom she befriends and also becomes enamored with the plants that she identifies. The author collaborated with an ethnobotanist to incorporate botanical details into the story, while also illustrating the diverse backgrounds and cultures of the city’s residents. The authors not only provide botanical lessons but also demonstrate awareness of the emotional sensitivity of pre-adolescents. Just as in a fairy tale, all ends well and Caspia has been enriched with botanical awareness, many new friends, and a visit from her mysterious riddle writer. Floral drawings profusely illustrate many of the pages, though the absence of color is a minor limitation in an otherwise vivid and imaginative text.
