Funke, Cornelia Caroline.
IGRAINE THE BRAVE
New York : Chicken House/Scholastic, 2007.
IL 3-6, RL 5.2
ISBN 0439903793

(3 booktalks)

Igraine is about to turn 12 years old and she can't wait to see her present.  Her parents and brother have been conjuring up for days and it is sure to be a wonderful surprise.  Igraine isn't too interested in all the magic stuff.  She'd rather be a knight and go on quests.  Her brother is more interested in the magic books and is learning to control them.  But sometimes things go wrong with magic.  You see, Igraine's parents accidently turned themselves into pigs while working on her present.  And they are all out of giant hairs that they need to turn back.  No big deal.  Igraine can go to the giant and get more.  But things are not going to be that easy.  Osmund the Greedy has picked this moment to lay seige to the castle in order to get the Books of Magic.  Ordinarily, that wouldn't be much of a problem but as pigs, Igraine's parents can't do magic.  Who will protect the castle from the seige?  Will the magical defenses hold out long enough for Igraine's parents to return to their magical selves?

Booktalk #2

Princess Igraine wants to become a knight, but her family of magicians just doesn’t understand her dreams.  Castle life is boring and magic spells don't interest Igraine.  The day her parents turn themselves into pigs, is the day a greedy neighbor decides to capture Igraine’s family home. Her big dreams are coming true but things don't always work out the way you think.   (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2008-2009)

Booktalk #3

Being the child of magicians is difficult enough when you are a girl and not magical at all. The evil Osmund desires her parent’s singing Books of Magic and plans to conquer their castle and take them. Normally there would be no problem but a misspoken word has turned these magicians into nonmagical pigs. Igraine now gets a chance to show whether she has the skills and resources to be a chivalrous knight. Join the search for the needed ingredient that will return her parents to their human bodies and the dangerous journey back to the castle.  (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards nominee, 2008-2009)