Looking for a new middle grade novel for your 8 to 12-year-olds? I have one that has mystery, friendship, love and magic in it. The book is The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods and illustrated by Anuska Allepuz. It is coming out next week (May 15, 2018).
First, I will tell you this book has beautiful illustrations throughout it and every pages has some it. For some pages it is just borders. The story itself begins very sad. We discover how a carpenter becomes a coffin maker when a disease hits his village and his entire family dies from it, and all the coffin makers have already died from it. For years later he makes coffins for his village. He attends the funerals for everyone as well. Some friends show up with a dead woman's body and ask him to help since she had no family and no money. He makes her a coffin and attends her funeral. Then he notices food missing from his house. He almost catches the thief and eventually sees him. He is just a boy (and a bird). After that he leaves food for the boy. The coffin maker is a very kind man. The boy is very afraid of being seen, but eventually trusts the kind man. The story continues from there. The connections are made and an escape to a magical land is attempted.
This novel is very well written and I truly enjoyed reading it. The illustrations add to the story and the beautiful leaves and flowers on the borders just make it even more interesting. I wasn't sure if I would like it with coffin maker in the title, but it is a wonderful tale. Yes there are times I cried but the book was a page turner. The characters are well developed and the emotions are so real. I did not want to put the book down once I really got into it. There is a bit of mystery and suspense in the story. There is sadness of loss as well as the happiness of love and magic. There is also a tale of second chances woven into it. I think most middle grade readers would love this story. I hope you will check it out!
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