Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy
Description:
Imogene and her mother, Elsie, visit Aunt Agnes on her huge estate facing the Pacific Ocean. There, Imogene meets Sampson, the butler, who treats her like a princess. Auntie Agnes is not so nice.
Unfortunately for Imogene, Elsie must join her husband, who left their home on an emergency. Elsie promises she will return for Imogene, but it wouldn’t be for five years.
For the next half decade Imogene lives in the huge mansion with her controlling and humorless aunt. The only plus is Sampson, who becomes the child’s best friend. And why not? Agnes refuses to let Imogene have friends in her home or go out unless it’s to attend school.
When Imogene turns ten everything changes when she learns about her family’s past and the world she came from—the Pacific Kingdom.
Author:
As a child, Teresa Schapansky enjoyed reading fantasies and fairy tales. When she became a mom, her daughters inspired her to write Imogene of the Pacific Kingdom. Schapansky joined forces with Bob Winterford to create Eye Wonder Studios Publishing, Inc. They have created the twelve-book “Along the Way” series for younger readers. Find out more about her at her website.
Appraisal:
With simplicity young children can relate to, Teresa Schapansky writes an entertaining story that digs into the fantasies of every young girl. For example, what little girl wouldn’t want a four-day weekend or live in a castle? The author does so through light-hearted fun and exciting adventure.
The plot for Imogene of the Pacific Kingdom flowed nicely with entertaining scenes and enough action and suspense to keep young readers engaged.
Format/Typo Issues:
I noticed a few editorial errors that jarred me away from the story. For example, when a writer provides dialogue and description of the character’s action, it all belongs in one paragraph. I often noticed a character speaking and then another character’s actions described in that same paragraph—a huge no-no, and a good way to induce reader confusion.
Rating: *** 3 stars
Reviewed by: Michael Thal
Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words
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