CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
To print a CCBC booklist, click on a list below and then use your browser’s “Print” command.
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
CCBC Review:
Werfel the Archivist gladly serves his goblin nation as a gracious host to scholar Brangwain Spurge, who has been sent as an elfin emissary. In spite of their mutual interests in history and culture, the two have vastly different world views shaped by the propaganda of their respective kingdoms. As a guest, Brangwain constantly tries Werfel’s nerves, but Werfel is determined to be a good host. For his part, Brangwain finds everything about the goblins horrifying—the food, the music, the clumsy attempts at honoring elfin culture. It all reinforces his determination to complete his mission, which is actually one of spying and subterfuge, not diplomacy. To underscore the two characters’ vastly differing perspectives, the book’s creators brilliantly use words and pictures in opposition to each other, with Werfel’s point of view conveyed in the prose narrative, Brangwain’s in the art, although readers must deduce this on their own. Gradually, the two narratives begin to align as Werfel and Brangwain slowly realize they are each pawns in their leader’s respective plots and join forces against political machinations in this ingenious, rollicking good story. Everything about the book is exceptional, from its appropriately old-fashioned design to its inventive use of narrative and illustration, original characters, gripping plot, and subtle social satire. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 10-14
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Fantasy
Humor
Propaganda
Satire
Spies and Intrigue
On CCBC Booklists:
Fantasy for 8 to 12 Year Olds: Giants, Journeys, and Other Imaginings
Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17
Sophisticated and Substantial Books for Teens
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 483
ISBN: 9780763698225
CCBC Location: Fiction, Anderson
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.