Legendtopia: The Battle for Urth

Gr 4–6—A story of courage and friendship. Kara is happy to be on a field trip and away from school. She doesn't mind that the class is going to Legendtopia, a fantasy-themed restaurant. But when she drops her owl necklace, the only thing she has left of her father, she ends up accidentally falling into the Realm, a fantastical dimension where she meets Prince Frederick Alexander Siegfried Maria Thorston XIV, who has always wanted to visit Urth—what he considers a magical place filled with cell phones and other odd objects. Prince Fred saves Kara from an evil sorceress and follows her back to her world. Together, the two new friends must face evil bent on taking over the Realm and Urth. Along the way, they confront ogres, dragons, and hordes of magical monsters. The pacing is brisk, the writing is straightforward, and action and humor abound.