{"id":1685,"date":"2018-07-22T01:25:05","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T05:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/?p=1685"},"modified":"2018-08-08T23:59:10","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T03:59:10","slug":"beyond-the-wicked-willow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/2018\/07\/22\/beyond-the-wicked-willow\/","title":{"rendered":"Sword &#038; Sorcery for Middle Grade Readers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Beyond the Wicked Willow, by M.J. Rocissono<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-218\" src=\"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/tiny-star.png\" alt=\"gold star\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-218\" src=\"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/tiny-star.png\" alt=\"gold star\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-218\" src=\"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/tiny-star.png\" alt=\"gold star\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-218\" src=\"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/tiny-star.png\" alt=\"gold star\" width=\"30\" height=\"30\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIn 2012 two things changed the life of fourteen-year-old Frankie Fretini forever. The first was the death of his father\u2014we\u2019ll talk more about that later. The second thing was the malocchio. What\u2019s the malocchio, you ask? The Italian evil eye. A curse, jinx, hex, hoodoo. A whammy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">So begins the story of Frankie Fretini, whose ancestors encountered a witch almost eight hundred years ago, leaving behind a paranormal mess he\u2019s about to inherit. Frankie and his friends hide from a bully in a carnival fortune teller\u2019s booth and end up in the Middle Ages, with no choice but to track down the witch and deal with her if they ever want to get back home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s a middle grade book written at an appropriate level for middle graders, so don\u2019t expect a nuanced read. Like any good tale for young readers, it\u2019s more of an external than an internal journey, filled with action and adventure and stories within stories. (And an array of fart jokes that are sure to delight even the most hardened of twelve-year-old critics.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If you can imagine an Afterschool Special mash-up of <i>The Goonies<\/i> and the <i>Dungeons &amp; Dragons<\/i> cartoon series, you\u2019ll be in the right ball park. Don\u2019t know either of those? Here, we\u2019ll help you out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5qA2s_Vh0uE?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">They\u2019re both from the era that inspired <i>Stranger Things<\/i>, and if it seems like we\u2019re digressing down a side road here, we\u2019re not really. We\u2019re just giving you a taste of the book, which caters to the knight errant wanderings of the middle grade imagination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YacKar7y3mc?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Although the story focuses on the adventure, there\u2019s some real depth behind the scenes, too. Frankie is still dealing with the death of his father, and there\u2019s a genuine emotional story arc lurking beneath the surface, handled in a subtle way that feels appropriate for the target age range.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">THE BOTTOM LINE: This debut novel delivers on the promise of magic and adventure, whisking the reader across multiple historical time frames and settings. Layered tangents might create some confusion, but middle grade readers will find plenty here to love.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\namzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"trashdogs-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region = \"US\";\namzn_assoc_design = \"enhanced_links\";\namzn_assoc_asins = \"B0759Q7P17\";\namzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit\";\namzn_assoc_linkid = \"b322cb444a491c910436994040bf2af6\";\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"><\/script><br \/>\n<iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=trashdogs-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B0759Q7P17&amp;asins=B0759Q7P17&amp;linkId=30f24306a1cf0033bae2954880ffca3d&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=trashdogs-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B004ADF7RO&amp;asins=B004ADF7RO&amp;linkId=809c70b51a70d31ab123c4eebbc8ba75&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=trashdogs-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B009Z5975A&amp;asins=B009Z5975A&amp;linkId=495b5568fbcf5a21b1fc6b501da11ca8&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=trashdogs-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B000QFW7UA&amp;asins=B000QFW7UA&amp;linkId=9da81c8ae36acdb6d632fd1c06ff458b&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beyond the Wicked Willow, by M.J. Rocissono \u201cIn 2012 two things changed the life of fourteen-year-old Frankie Fretini forever. The first was the death of his father\u2014we\u2019ll talk more about that later. The second thing was the malocchio. What\u2019s the malocchio, you ask? The Italian evil eye. A curse, jinx, hex, hoodoo. A whammy.\u201d So [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"breadbutter_post_enabled":false,"breadbutter_post_as_destination_url":false,"breadbutter_post_app_name":"","breadbutter_post_destination_url":"","breadbutter_post_callback_url":"","breadbutter_post_client_data":"","breadbutter_post_button_theme":"","breadbutter_post_expand_email_address":true,"breadbutter_post_user_profile_tool":false,"breadbutter_post_continue_with_popup_delay_seconds":"","breadbutter_post_show_login_focus":false,"breadbutter_post_force_reauthentication":false,"breadbutter_post_continue_with":false,"breadbutter_continue_with_position_vertical":"default","breadbutter_continue_with_position_horizontal":"default","breadbutter_continue_with_position_vertical_px":0,"breadbutter_continue_with_position_horizontal_px":0,"breadbutter_post_is_restricred":false,"breadbutter_post_header_1":"","breadbutter_post_header_2":"","breadbutter_post_header_back_1":"","breadbutter_post_header_back_2":"","breadbutter_post_blur_text_1":"","breadbutter_post_blur_text_2":"","breadbutter_post_blur_text_3":"","breadbutter_post_blur_text_3_2":"","breadbutter_post_blur_more_text":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_enabled":false,"breadbutter_post_contactus_icon_message":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_header":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_paragraph_1":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_paragraph_2":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_paragraph_3":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_sub_header":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_button_label":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_success_message":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_show_phone":false,"breadbutter_post_contactus_show_company":false,"breadbutter_post_contactus_position_vertical":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_position_vertical_px":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_position_horizontal":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_position_horizontal_px":"","breadbutter_post_contactus_override_dest":false,"breadbutter_post_is_gated":false,"breadbutter_post_content_gating_header":"","breadbutter_post_content_gating_override_dest":false,"breadbutter_post_content_gating_scroll_limit":"","breadbutter_post_content_gating_time_limit":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_enabled":false,"breadbutter_post_content_preview_text_1":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_text_2":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_text_3":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_text_3_2":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_text_more":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_override_dest":false,"breadbutter_post_content_preview_clickable_content":false,"breadbutter_post_content_preview_scroll_limit":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_time_limit":"","breadbutter_post_content_preview_height":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_enabled":false,"breadbutter_post_newsletter_type":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_header":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_main_message":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_success_header":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_success_message":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_delay_popup":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_custom_image_type":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_custom_image":"","breadbutter_post_newsletter_override_dest":false,"breadbutter_post_newsletter_event_code":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1685","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-reading","8":"","9":"blog-left-layout","10":"blog-style-postblock","12":"blog-alt-odd"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1685"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2234,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1685\/revisions\/2234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dragonauthors.com\/bookwyrms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}