Magic Adventures with Every Season in Fantasy Read for Middle Grade Readers

Anna James' magical first book in her fantasy series Chronicles of Whetherwhy-The Age of Enchantment is a dynamic read for readers in the middle grades. Readers of ages 8-12 will find this first book to be a page turner to discover all of the adventures that Juniper and her twin brother Rafferty have when they enter this realm of magic and monsters. Readers will want to discover their favorite season and imagine the adventures for themselves that could happen in their favorite season.

Everyone has some kind of magic within themselves in this land of enchantment. Everyone can be either spring, fall, winter, or spring. This first Chronicle of Whetherwhy begins in spring. All children of the age of thirteen are weighed and their height is measured to determine their next adventure.

An Enchanter in this magical land has the magic of all four of the seasons within themselves. Juniper discovers that she is privileged to be one of the Enchanters. She leaves home to study at the Thistle Down Academy. Her twin brother Rafferty takes a job at a bookbinder's shop nearby to be close to his sister. Adventures begin when Rafferty becomes involved with a secret society that meets after dark. Monsters are part of this adventure and the adventures are greatly enhanced as the twins travel through this magical land to fight the monsters. Can the twins survive all of the magical happenings?

David Wyatt contributed his talents as an illustrator for Chronicles of Whetherwhy-The Age of Enchantment. The illustrations are colorful and engaging for the reader.

This New York Times Bestseller is recommended for ages 8-12. It was published by Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 9798217041121. The gift box set makes a great gift for the holidays. The gift box contains a pen that young readers can proudly wear as a member of this magical land.

Teachers who teach in later elementary classrooms will want to add this highly entertaining book to their classroom library. Children are always eager to experience a different adventure in reading and even reluctant readers will want to dive into this magical adventure. Fans of this genre will find this first book in the series to be a page turner.

*Assign Chronicles of Whetherwhy-The Age of Enchantment to be read individually. Invite children to choose their favorite character and write a short review of the reasons for this character being their favorite.

*Each person in this magical realm has magic within themselves for a season. Assign a creative writing project for children to choose their favorite season and the magic that might be within this season. What season would they like to collect their magic from?

*Provide drawing paper, crayons, and markers for children to draw their favorite season.

*Engage children in a discussion of their beliefs in magic and magical powers. What power would they like to have?

*Add resources of other books that tell of magical lands and magical powers. Compare these stories with the adventures that are told in the Chronicles of Whetherwhy-The Age of Enchantment.

*Assign a creative writing activity for children to write about an adventure that they might have in the Chronicles of Whetherwhy. Share their writing with classmates.

Anna James grew up in the land of Narnia, Earthsea, and the Old Kingdom and Discworld. She writes that she wanted to create a land of fantasy that young readers would find engaging as she does with this genre.

Books are very important in the land of Whetherswhy. Everyone has one of the seasons within themselves with its magic. Her heroes are bookbinders. She writes that booksellers are often Summer people. She writes the Summer is the season of revelation. People who have the magic of summer within themselves like to help others find the perfect book to read. Bookbinders belong to the season of Spring. Spring is the season of creation. Autumn is the season of transformation. Winter is the season of destruction. Anna hopes that the young readers will see themselves in one of the seasons.