Prince Dustin and Clara: Deep in the Black Forest (Volume 1)

Prince Dustin and Clara have a mission: to re-imprison the Dark Forces in their own kingdom and defeat the enchantress Serihilda. This book, their adventure, is packed with magic, excitement, and danger. I like how the author incorporates rhyming poetry into the book. It gives emphasis on certain evil elements of the story and adds emotion to the book overall. It clearly started as a Nutcracker twist, then the author kept writing in the same world, to finish the series, and this resulted. Elementary students in first through fifth grade who love dance will enjoy this book. This makes a good read in language arts in elementary school. There are good vocabulary words used in this book and I would recommend using them to find examples for grammar classes. I think every elementary school library could use a copy. Most local libraries and classrooms could use this book, along with families containing young dancers. The only thing missing is a map of the world the characters live in, and there are enough clues to this in the books that most people could draw one! This book is an imaginative, exciting, and descriptive fantasy novel.