(Book 1 in the Stoneheart trilogy)
PG-13 (language and violence)
When George breaks off a stone dragon's head, he finds himself in an alternate layer of London--a layer where statues come to life. And because he has altered the balance of good vs. evil in this layer, he must make amends. What he doesn't know is that it will take all the character he has and then some. But he won't have to go it alone. He is befriended by a WWI soldier come to life and a girl who herself plays a role in this alternate reality.
Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher is young YA at its finest! The audio book is read by master narrator Jim Dale (same narrator as the Harry Potter series), bringing the story to raging life. Technically this book is Middle Grade, but honestly it kept me in my car, even after we'd arrived home, just so I could listen a little bit longer. The plot is masterfully woven with plenty of unexpected twists, and Fletcher's use of language is superb!
Because the book contains some disturbing scenes (the villains are truly evil and show no mercy) as well as some expletives, I have given it a PG-13 rating (though my 11-year-old, who is a big Rick Riordan fan, enjoyed it immensely).
Themes:
friendship
duty
sacrifice
Parental cautions:
expletives (damn, hell, ass)
evil fantasy creatures
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