July 18, 2023 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ten year old twins Kinjal and Kiya Rajkumar live in Parsippany, New Jersey the same setting for The Serpent's Secret and Force of Fire with their mother and father, who runs Champak Brothers Gardening, as well as their dog, Thums-Up. Since their father is very supportive of pollinators, the family's yard if full of clover, dandelions and other flora that their neighbors kill with pesticides. They squabble a bit, especially since Kiya is more interested in science and math, and Kinjal prefers books and reading. When Kiya's friend Lola is visiting and is almost stung by a bee, their mother does something very strange-- her arm extends like a super hero's, and she whispers to the bee when she lets it go! That's just the beginning of their adventure. When Thums-Up is taken, they must travel into the Kingdom Beyond to retrieve him. They are helped by two pakkhiraj horses, Snowy and Midnight, and taken to Princess Pakkhiraj. The twins have thought that all of these were just characters in their father's Thankumar Jhuli book of stories, and are surprised to see so many of the characters coming to life. They find out that Minister Nakoo is producing and selling something called Pest-B-Gone, and the ruler of the kingdom, Raju Rontu, is not stopping him. All of the bees are dying, and if they die, there will not be nectar for the pakkhirajs or the rhakosh, and the Kingdom Beyond will crumble. With the help of Tuni, the minister bird, as well as Snowy, Midnight, and also Thums-Up (who is a pakkhiraj horse in disguise), the two must go on a quest to find a champak flower to plant. It will heal the whole kingdom, but must be retrieved from King Sesha of the Serpents. There are dangerous journeys to undertake, family secrets to be revealed, and a kingdom that must be saved from certain destruction. Are Kinjal and Kiya up to the task?
Strengths: Like this author's other work, this has a lot of fascinating Bengali folk tales worked into Kinjal and Kiya's adventures. I liked that the children were a little younger and the book was a little shorter; I think a lot of early elementary readers are drawn to epic fantasy, but there aren't that many books that cater to this need. I definitely appreciated that both parents were alive, and that they were safe in Parsippany, although as the series continues, I wonder if both of them might travel into the kingdom to regain their rightful titles! Kiya's interest in science gives her some kee insight into some of the occurrences in both worlds. As someone who has a yard that is being rewilded, I loved the message about protecting bees and stopping the use of pesticides.
Weaknesses: Middle school readers might enjoy the other two Kingdom Beyond series a bit more; the twins have a lot of supervision on their quest, and it's a fairly tame adventure with minimal scary monsters. This makes it perfect as a bedtime read aloud instead of fantasies aimed at older readers. The Great Blah made this seem a bit younger, as well.
What I really think: I will probably pass on purchase for my middle school, but would definitely buy this for elementary schools. We are starting to see some more fantasies for younger readers, like Soontornvat's Legends of Lotus Island.
Weaknesses: Middle school readers might enjoy the other two Kingdom Beyond series a bit more; the twins have a lot of supervision on their quest, and it's a fairly tame adventure with minimal scary monsters. This makes it perfect as a bedtime read aloud instead of fantasies aimed at older readers. The Great Blah made this seem a bit younger, as well.
What I really think: I will probably pass on purchase for my middle school, but would definitely buy this for elementary schools. We are starting to see some more fantasies for younger readers, like Soontornvat's Legends of Lotus Island.
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