Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven (The Website)

By Brandon Mull

Shadow Mountain Publishing

Kendra eyes the set of keys her grandfather has handed her. She can’t wait to see what they will unlock but perhaps she should have not been so curious. The keys, curiosity and broken rules place Kendra and her brother in danger and force them to face the greatest challenge of their lives. Kendra and her brother Seth are not exactly thrilled to be spending several weeks with their grandparents while mom and dad go on a cruise. They hardly know their grandparents who turn out to be caretakers of mystical creatures gathered on a hidden refuge called Fablehaven. The sanctuary survives as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world.

Midsummer Night’s Eve turns their world upside down as they come face to face with jealous fairies, plotting witches, greedy trolls and mischievous satyrs. To save Fablehaven, her family and even the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears the most.

This first fantasy novel from Brandon Mull is a read that the entire family can enjoy. Imaginative and fast-paced action move the story along and readers won’t want to put it down. I connected with the characters and was drawn to a sister who always did the expected and a brother who always was adventure and trouble, which is like my family.

This book is a middle level read and appropriate for young people grades 4-8. Loyalty, courage and problem solving are great themes in this book. Watch for Mull’s second book, The Rise of the Evening Star.

Review by Leann Moody

www.dms.provo.edu/students/index.html

Interview with Brandon Mull of Fablehaven Fame!!!

Brandon Mull has worked as a comedian, a filing clerk, a patio installer, a movie promoter, a copywriter and briefly as a chicken stacker. For a couple of years, he lived in the Aracama Desert of Northern Chile, where he learned Spanish and juggling. He currently lives on the side of a mountain above a prison with his wife and two children.

He has two books: Fablehaven and Rise of the Evening Star, published by Shadow Mountain. Local author Brandon Mull recently visited Dixon Middle School in Provo as part of a book tour around the state and country. He talked with students about the power of imagination and reading. He also took time to answer some of their questions:

Question: How did you become a writer?

Brandon Mull: Fablehaven is the first book that was published but I have been working on it for a while. I was dreaming of it in high school and writing sincerely since college, which has been quite a few years already.

Question: Did you like writing as a kid?

Bandon Mull: I was one of those kids who kind of lived in his head. I was off in a fantasy world and then I read Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia and books like that as I was growing up. I saw that other people are off in their imaginations, too.

Question: You said you have worked in comedy. What did you do?

Brandon Mull: I became interested in comedy in college because there was a comedy troupe called Divine Comedy. I was having some success writing and performing comedy so branched off and did some stand up. I try to put some humor in my books.

Question: How many books will there be?

Brandon Mull: For sure there will be a least three books. There might be too much story there so it might have to stretch to an extra book.

Question: Where do your characters come from?

Brandon Mull: It has to come from human interaction and you give each character attributes of people that you know. So there’s a boy in the book named Seth, who’s one of the main characters and he has a lot of the same tendencies that my little brother and I had. When we lived in Connecticut we could explore the woods around our home. He’s sort of a daredevil. I also had an encounter in Chile with someone who professed to be a witch. This experience had a little bit of an influence on an encounter that happens in the book, but in a more fantasy way instead of in a real way.

Question: Your main character is a girl. How did you come up with her?

Brandon Mull: Kendra is the main character. She’s a girl who‘s a little more cautious than her brother and more responsible. A lot of the action in the book comes from their interplay, her being responsible and Seth always getting into trouble.

Question: What if I want to become a writer?

Brandon Mull: I would read a lot and write. Just keep writing and use your imagination.


Posted by Leann Moody
www.dms.provo.edu/students/index.html