Okay, if you know anything about me you know that I seldom read "big girl books" as my mother calls them. I often find them tedious and not very thought provoking. As adults we avoid things that challenge our beliefs and tend to stick within our comfort zones. Children very often do not have set zones of reading comfort because they are still developing and therefore their literature often blurs the lines of genres. Not often seen in adult novels.
Saving the Griffin is one such novel. Obviously it is a fantasy book - it is, after all, about a griffin. But the ease of writing and setting in modern day Italy elevates the book to a nearly realistic feel. I'm almost certain that if I went to Italy tomorrow, I would find Grifonino ("little griffin" in Italian) lurking under a laurel bush.
It is a very easy book - only about a third grade equivalency - but would make a great read aloud for first, second, or third grades. It intersperses mini Italian lessons with real life lessons about trust, family, and that just because something is scary at first, that doesn't mean it has to be bad. Plus - there's an adorable baby griffin... so sweet!
Saving the Griffin is written by Kristin Wolden Nitz and published by Peachtree Publishers.
Grazie tanto! So glad you liked it.
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