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Once There Was
CCBC Review:
Once was, once wasn’t. This is how all Persian folktales told by Marjan’s Iranian father began. The stories are hazy to 15-year-old Marjan, like many details of her family life. Her father, distant emotionally after her Norwegian American mother’s death, shared little and traveled often—and unusually—for his veterinarian job. Now he’s died and Marjan is struggling both emotionally and financially, trying to figure out what to do with his barely profitable clinic. A mysterious summons to England that brings Marjan face to face with an ancient griffin and the human family that cares for it suddenly begins to illuminate her father’s mysterious work trips, and questions surrounding his death. The shocking discovery that magical creatures secretly exist in our world comes with Marjan’s stunning realization that, like her father, she has the ability to assess their well-being with a physical touch. Marjan is soon drawn into the complex network of people determined to either care for, collect, and/or profit from these creatures’ existence. As she begins to explore her skills and build an understanding of the magical creature ecosystem, she must figure out whom to trust as she not only investigates her father’s death but also tries to figure out how to protect the magical animals from those who would harm them. This imaginative work is a spellbinding mystery-adventure that delivers an action-filled plot, superb world-building, and thoughtful and compelling characters while exploring themes of grief, ethics, friendship, and family. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Ethical/Moral Choices
Families
Fantasy
Friendship
Grief and Loss
Iranians and Iranian Americans
Mysteries
Supernatural
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Middle East
On CCBC Booklists:
Great Middle School Reads
Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 406
ISBN: 9781665928502
CCBC Location: Fiction, Monsef