The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill is the first book in a new middle grade reader fantasy series by Eric Koester. Released 24th April 2022, it's 376 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a wonderfully well written fantasy adventure for ~7-12 year olds (and all other ages, really). It's a rollicking sibling adventure on the surface which also manages to tackle age-old themes of censorship, kindness, loyalty, and bravery in an age appropriate but unflinching manner.
I loved the depth of the world building. It feels organic and real. I also really loved the interplay between the siblings who are distinct and have their own personalities and act like siblings. They argue and squabble, but when it matters, they support one another and if one is threatened, they band together. This book apparently grew out of the bedtime story-telling ritual of the author and his children and it feels authentically delightful.
Four stars. Definitely a good choice for public or school library acquisition, and home use. I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next for the Pennymore siblings. A portion of the proceeds from the book go to The Malala Fund for Children's Literacy.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
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