Has your child moved on from easy readers? Gracie York’s Hannah Hattington Goes on an Adventure is an early middle-grade book that’s perfect for your first and second-graders.
The main character, Hannah, is wary of adventures. She’s uncomfortable with meeting new people and trying new things. Then she finds herself thrown into a strange land of starflies (flitting balls of light), nimbus lions, harpies, and sphinxes. The sky and the earth have switched places; trees cover the sky, and clouds serve as the ground. Her twin neighbors, Andrew and Annabelle, are whisked into this world, too, and they’re kidnapped by beasts. Hannah must rescue not only them but a young squirrel, from danger. In fact, she lives the story her parents had read to her: a story of a girl who makes friends, and then fights a dragon.
This book has an “Alice in Wonderland” vibe, though Hannah falls through a tree knot instead of a rabbit hole. Grace Preston’s illustrations are sweet and friendly, and I like how each chapter begins with a cloud amid stars and starflies. I immersed myself in the chapter about the kids solving the sphinx’s riddles. I tried solving them myself, and I got the first riddle but struggled with the second. Andrew gets the first and the second, showing his brilliance. The third—Who won the last World Series championship game?—I couldn’t get, as I’m not an avid sports watcher. Andrew doesn’t have the answer either, but Hannah, a World Series fan, answers the riddle.
Readers will watch Hannah grow from timidity to boldheartedness. She boosts her courage by telling herself, “I am brave and strong. When I am afraid, I won’t let my fear tell me what to do.” It’s good to keep negative emotions from ruling us, though I would comment that sometimes we’re not brave and strong in ourselves. That’s when we must draw from the Holy Spirit to empower us. However, we see Hannah exercise bravery as she and her friends fight the dragon together, and in a unique way that involves food.
I like how the book shows different cultures and temperaments. Andrew is shy like Hannah and bookish, while Annabelle talks up a storm and dreams of being a sailor. The story hints that Hannah is part Indian and part British, as she eats dosas (Indian crepes) and sausage rolls (British meat dishes). She has knowledge about manners and spoons for afternoon tea, and it helps her rescue Andrew from a persnickety, tea-loving harpy.
Do you love reading about people with diverse personalities? Do you dream of entering a world of clouds and star-like beings? Or facing off with thundercloud lions and hungry dragons? Look no further than Hannah Hattington.
Come through the knothole into a land of adventure!
Hannah Hattington likes her quiet life just the way it is. But when her neighbors go missing, she finds herself on an unwanted adventure. Journey with Hannah to Upside Down Land as she makes new friends, fights nimbus lions, and learns that she can be brave.
This illustrated chapter book is perfect for fans of My Father’s Dragon and readers 5 to 8 years old. Each chapter is roughly the length of an average picture book, for ideal bedtime reading.
