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Saturday, May 11, 2024

The Shelterlings by Sarah Beth Durst

A group of magical misfit animals learns to appreciate their seemingly useless powers—and themselves—when they work together to thwart a villain’s attempt to steal their magic.

 Holly, a grey squirrel, and her animal friends have accepted that they will never be wizards’ familiars. Though they are each magical, their powers are so offbeat—Holly herself can conjure pastries (and only pastries)—that no professional magic-worker would choose any of them as a companion for noble quests. So instead of going on adventures, they languish at the Shelter for Rejected Familiars, where they are known as “shelterlings.” When an old friend appears with a plan for curing the shelterlings’ defective magic, everyone is on board to help him locate and retrieve the ingredients for a powerful spell. 

But when they learn that his offer is not what it seems, Holly and the shelterlings must fight to defend their magic, discovering in the process that their unorthodox skills may just be what is needed to save the day.

Hardcover, 247 pages
Published June 21, 2022
 by Clarion Books
4/5 stars

Middle grade is a genre that I enjoy reading, and this book was no exception. The cover was attractive enough for me to take a second glance and decided it needed to be on my shelf (can you spot the dragon in the background)?

Shelterlings is the story of what some might call misfit critters. Those animals that didn’t quite make the bar in the wizarding world and are sent to a, for lack of better word, a group home. Embarking on a quest that could solve their problems, these critters with special abilities ban together with one common goal.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the variety of animals, the quirky personalities, the fun and often time dangerous adventures as well as the teamwork that played throughout. A great read that highlights teamwork, friendship and forgiveness. I recommend this fun book for kids but enjoyable for adults, like me.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

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