The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday)

[Kuzey]

The Hotel Balzaar: A Norendy Tale (Book 2)

Kate Di Camillo, Author

Júlia Sardà. Illustrator

Candlewick Press, Oct. 1, 2024

Pages: 160

Suitable for ages: 7 -10

Themes: Family, Friendship, Misssing soldiers, Hope, Magic, Storytelling, War​

Book Jacket Synopsis:

At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta’s mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly—like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel’s wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing.

One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot appears, promising a story—in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father’s disappearance lie in the countess’s tales?

Book two in a trio of novellas bound by place and mood—with elegant line art by Júlia Sardà—The Hotel Balzaar masterfully juggles yearning and belief, shining light into every dark corner. The third book in the series, Lost Evangeline will be released September 30.

My thoughts on The Hotel Balzaar:

The Hotel Balzaar is a charming and heartfelt addition to The Puppets of Spelhorst. Kate DiCamillo returns to the land of Norendy where magical stories unfold within other stories. Júlia Sardà’s expressive ink illustrations add a sense of anticipation to DiCamillo story.

Marta is a mindful, but curious girl. She explores the hotel and looks at no one directly as she can’t be noticed. One afternoon an exotic countess checks into the hotel. She wears a bright red dress, red shoes and red hat. Perched on her shoulder is a very large green-winged parrot, named Blitzkoff. Marta peeks at the old and excentric woman from behind a palm tree. When the countess heads toward the elevators, she stops, points her cane and says “I see you, my dear…You are not hidden to me…I am very fond of children…You must come and visit us…Room 314…You will not be disappointed.” Despite her mother’s warnings, Marta visits the countess. Daily. The countess has wonderful and odd stories to share and they are far more interesting than counting the 128 stairs in the stairwell or watching the clock. She has now embarked upon a journey that shines light in a way she’s not known before.

Marta visits the countess daily to hear the seven promised stories. Some are confusing. Others are incomplete but somehow she knows they may all join hands at the end. She secretly hope they may lead to news about her father’s disappearance.

DiCamillo’s storytelling is masterful and her prose delightful. I especially like how she challenges her readers with wisdom, big questions and a scattering of unfamiliar words. The chapters are short and it makes for a perfect book to read outloud to loved ones and for kids preparing for MG books.

The third book in the Norendy Tales series, Lost Evangeline, will be released September 30.

Kate DiCamillo is one of America’s beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a two-time Newberry Medalist. She is the author of Because of Winn Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician’s Elephant, Flora & Ulysses, and the Raymie Nightingale series. She also is the author of the chapter books series Mercy Watson and the Tales from Deckwoo Drive. Born in Philadelphia she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.

Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts on his wonderful Always in the Middle website. Check out the link to see all of the wonderful reviews by KidLit bloggers and authors.

*Review copy provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.

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