The Pennymores and the Curse of the Invisible Quill: Pennymores 1 | KidSense Review for Parents & Teachers

A deftly written story with a unique and thoroughly fun plot perfect for children (8+) to read independently, read with a parent or teacher, or as a read-to-me book that will be a delight for parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone in need of a magical, fantasy adventure tale. 

KidSense Review says:

• Overall: Five Stars (based on aggregated evaluation of reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles)

• Age Appropriate: 8+

• Educational Value: Modest. Use of storytelling and writing principles terminologies. Complementary materials for educators related to creative writing.

• Positive Messages: Strong. 

• Positive Role Models: Strong. 

• Diverse Representations: Positive. Very strong female representation. Race is not mentioned specifically in the writing, although illustrations highlight a diverse cast

• Violence & Scariness: Medium. Age appropriate, but levels similar to early Harry Potter or Narnia. 

• Sex, Romance & Nudity: None.

• Language: No instances of cursing or strong language.

• Drinking, Drugs, & Smoking: None

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that THE PENNYMORES AND THE CURSE OF THE INVISIBLE QUILL is the first book in Eric Koester's proposed Pennymores series about siblings who learn they have abilities to write magic and must go on a quest to save their sibling who is being unwritten.  The novel respects kids' intelligence and motivates them to tackle its greater length and complexity, solve the mysteries, explore imaginative worlds, and understand a complex world.  It has some scary stuff for sensitive readers: a drowning, a canyon troll, discussions of fire that leads to loss of life, and the use of weapons to threaten. There's moderate diversity beyond the Pennymore family, including numerous students of color (based on the illustrations). Women have prominent roles in the story, including non-gender normative roles of invention and heads of secret societies. 

The story began as a bedtime story with Koester and his daughters (the namesakes of the Pennymore siblings), offering a unique origin to the story. The website for the book series offers videos and background information on the book.  

How Educators & Teachers Are Using in the Classroom

Well-written, age-appropriate writing for readers looking for series similar to those below.  We spoke to multiple educators teaching at the middle-grade levels in Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin using the book in their classrooms. They noted the book's emphasis on writing, storytelling, story arcs, and story building as excellent complements to instruction for creative writing. They also praised the book's strong female leads. Similarly, as educators and teachers have utilized Percy Jackson in their classrooms to complement instruction on Greek Mythology, the book can offer a unique complement for creative writing or storytelling units.  

The author offers a website for teachers and educators - Pennymores.com - that includes a series of resources and materials for kid-writers. Koester (a Georgetown University professor) used the tools with his daughters to invent the characters and story.  Downloadable templates, videos, and materials make it easy for a teacher to build on the book in their curriculum.  

What's the Story?

In THE PENNYMORES AND THE CURSE OF THE INVISIBLE QUILL, Parker Pennymore and her sisters Quinn and Parker awaken to find her brother Riley missing.  For a year, the kingdom and their parents are convinced he was kidnapped by their former caretaker Lady Julie and choose to reintroduce magic writing to the kingdom to protect it, a practice that combats hundreds of years where all writing has been banned.  

Parker Pennymore starts a secret writing society with her best friend bent on teaching more children to write with the hope of one-day finding her brother. Her decision to run away to find her brother sets off a chain of events that leads Parker, her siblings, and another boy on a quest throughout the magical realms of Fonde.  We discover that the children have a complex family history and have skills as magic writers themselves, which they must harness to stop the rise of Dagamar, the most powerful evil wizard in Fonde.  

KidSense Peer and Comparable Books or Series include...

• Harry Potter series

• Narnia series

• The Hobbit series

• Percy Jackson series

• The Land of Stories series

• The School of Good & Evil series

Is It Any Good?

The book has already earned rave reviews from New York Weekly, Artist Weekly, LA Weekly, and the Latin Post (among others), describing it as one of the best middle-grade fantasy debuts since Harry Potter.  It offers a unique and inventive magic system - where magic is cast by writing with a quill rather than a wand - and a stunning world of villains that sets up the remainder of the series.  The book offers the fun, thrilling world of magic that both young and old fantasy readers will love as Parker and her sister Aven explore a library that has come alive, featuring books that fly and bookshelves that rearrange into mazes, underground cities built by Dwarves featuring unique tunnels and invention systems, and a world of anthropomorphic animals.  We learn unique elements of this magic system, including etching on a Serif (the magic writer) fingernails to point spells at both people or objects.  Readers will want to grab their quill and explore the world of Everly and Fonde immediately.

But it's not all fun with magical hijinks and adventure. The Pennymore family finds itself at the center of an incredible conflict posed to rip their kingdom apart. The Ravagers and their leader Dagamar have a deep and unknown relationship with the Pennymore parents, while leaders in the kingdom fighting to ban writing forever look to attack the children hoping to use writing for more innocuous reasons.  As Parker, Quinn, Aven, and the Plumes uncover a plan to harness incredible power and unleash the Silent Darkness on the world, the story's complexity truly comes alive. Readers will enjoy the twists, danger, and kid magic writer heroics that drive the final action.

What Parents & Teachers Can Discuss 

• What would happen if writing were banned?  

• Why might someone want to ban books or writing?

• How do you have courage in the face of bullies?

• Origins of writing, quills, and inkwells.

• What is a story arc, and what is a hero in the story?

• How can stories be used to help us learn?

• What magic would you write?