Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

****DISCLAIMER**** I am still having formatting issues. Please bear with me as I work through them Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy By: Karen Foxlee Published: Jan.28, 2014. 240 pages. Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers Summary via Goodreads.com: Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help. As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world. A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up My review: I have not read a Children's book purely for my own entertainment. I usually will read a chapter with my son occasionally. I was sent this book by the author to read prior to the release date,and I am very glad I dug right into this. This book was really magical. It had everything: a normal girl, her sister and father. Museum exhibits that come to life. The villain. The Hero. Love. Sadness. Happiness. Freight. And so much more. The story begins with Ophelia and her family at the museum. They have just lost their Mother/Wife and are still grieving her loss. The father takes a job at a museum putting together a sward exhibit. While they're there, Ophelia goes exploring and discovers a boy living in a room. They can see each other just by peering through the small key hole. Ophelia is introduced to magic and mystery as soon as she encounters the boy. She has a mission she needs to accomplish in order to save the boy, and the world from the evil of the Snow Queen. There are a lot of terrifying moments as she moves about to accomplish this mission before the world is taken over by the evil Snow Queen. Ophelia deals with many issues in this book. Like the exhibits coming to life, specifically the Misery Birds who are something I never want to encounter. It is as this mission unfolds that the real world and the magical worlds collide. What seems real isn't and what isn't real seems that it is. There are some characters who play a dual role in this story, and it has you guessing from start to finish. Ophelia is a brave little girl. For someone who has just encountered so much pain and heart ache, this almost gives her the chance to work with her mom and have her mom by her side as she follows instructions to get from point A to B to C........ This book uses so much imagination, and that alone makes it a worthwhile read. I felt lost in the images of the museum, the time travel, the history and so much more. Books like this make me want to share them with all the children I know. In today's age, we are so lost in the world of technology, and focused on moving at the speed of light. Children should all be able to read a book of this type and find their creativity. Open up their minds and explore the museum with Ophelia. I have never been a big fantasy reader. I have always been kind of turned off by the thought of it, but this has opened up a new genre of interest for me. This book is listed as appropriate for ages 8-12, and honestly I think that kids of all ages, from 8 to 100 will love to read this. I plan on letting my son read it once his reading pile gets a little smaller. This book was 4 out of 5 stars for me. I wish the author much luck and success with this book, and give many thanks for allowing me to read it early!