Some books are more than books, they are lessons dressed in love. The mayor is darkness dressed in light, the ogress is light said to be darkness, the crows can talk in their own way, and everyone is suffering. But, we learn, that if you look beyond the surface and explore a person intentions, good will prevail. A lesson for us all.

The Ogress and the Orphans feels like a classic fairy tale, in content, tone, and style. Thematically, it touches on what it means to be a neighbor, the importance of stories, generosity, and friendship. The pacing of the story is sometimes slow, but in a way that is consistent with the fairy tale format. I enjoyed this book, and think it has the potential to appeal to a wide range of readers, as long as they aren’t looking for an adventure on every page. I can imagine it serving as a (long running) read aloud for younger elementary school students, and then an independent read for middle grades.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

5 bright, shining stars! One of my favorite reads of 2022. This was my first book from Kelly Barnhill, and I am now a huge fan. Lots of humor, lots of heart, lots to engage you. I cannot recommend this book enough, nor to enough people! KUDOS!!

Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book about orphans (brave orphans!) and an ogress (a wonderfully kind ogress), obviously. But there is also a dragon. And deception. And people being turned against one another in what used to be a lovely town. It is also about delicious pies and baked good. Also very heroic crows.
It is a thoughtful read. It should fill your heart with hope and make you look at the world in a slightly different way. I am very happy that it was nominated for an NBA and also received other awards and recognition.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

A gorgeous book that will subvert all expectations about ogres! It provided lots of opportunities to discuss friendships and family relationships. A great book for subtle and nuances health and well-being learning. We loved it!

I loved Kelly Barnhill's THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, but I think THE OGRESS AND THE ORPHANS shines brighter, which has made it difficult to give the book the justice it deserves. The plot and characters provided a strong presentation of the themes. The Ogress exudes the kindness of her motto, “the more you give, the more you have” which is in contrast to the Mayor, who only believes in greed by any means, mostly by lying, scapegoating, and manipulation. The Orphans symbolized honesty and innocence, while the Matron and Myron were the nurturers of their lives. The Crows exemplified community spirit. The reader will easily find many examples of these themes within the plot, so I'm not going to elaborate. For me, this was one of the best books of 2022, and it is destined to be a classic. Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers and Netgalley for the digital arc.

All of Kelly Barnhill's books have an extremely Lord of the Rings ordinary people fighting against the darkness feeling to them and this one was no exception. It begins a little slower than some of her other books, but draws you in about halfway through and carries you gently to the end.

There is a certain, special magic that comes from reading a Kelly Barnhill book. Her world crafting is matched only by her gift with words. This book is that same kind of special, magical, literary fantasy for young readers. She is doing what no one else is doing, and she's doing it so dang well.

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for inviting me on this blog tour for The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill, and thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the beautiful ARC of this book.

My Thoughts
So very glad, delighted, and heart-warmed to have read this book.

First Thoughts
This is a stunning book, and one that has made me fall in love so completely with Barnhill’s lyrical writing that my next read will be her first book (the one I am yet to read, as I mentioned already, and aren’t I lucky?)

What I Love About It
The simple answer would be: Everything! But you know I cannot stop at that, so here you go!
This book has so many elements that make me enjoy it and delight in it and fall in love with it some more as I discover each one. You will agree once you see the things I have listed below (and there is more I left out):

that stunning cover;
trees that tell stories;
books that brag (well, of course they should be able to!) and seem to bend space and time (I think they really do);
a kind and self-sufficient ogress;
the really smart and curious and simply the most wonderful residents of the Orphan House (from Matron to Phyllis the cat) (and the alphabetically ordered names of the orphans!)
dragons;
even the townsfolk who have grown meaner and grumpier over the years;
as well as that slimy shiny Mayor;
of course, how can I not mention the crows
and last but not least, the all-knowing yet unknown narrator of the book!!
well, one more last thing: the refrain of “the more you give, the more you have”; so simple, yet profound and true.
those last couple of lines were an untruth! Last one: the many other positive messages all through that are sure to warm everyone’s hearts.
To add to that, Barnhill’s writing is beautiful and delightful. Some words hug readers warmly while others raise hard-hitting and important questions; yet others leave you smiling with their clever word play.

I cannot but help draw parallels to characters and events in the story to life around us in current times, but I will leave you to reach your own such parallels when you read the book.

Tangential Thoughts That Followed….
And I have seen it in so many ways recently, despite the troubling events during the same time.

From sidewalk chalk art brightening neighborhoods to cheer people up as they social-distanced during the pandemic
to an acquaintance in Poland housing a couple of Ukrainian refugee families in his apartment at this moment. (he doesn’t know them from before; while he never thought he would be doing something like this, he feels fortunate he can).
Between the book and news like this, this heartwarming truth is stronger:

that kindness matters, and every single act counts; so simply do it, and like ripples in a pond, it will grow and spread before you know it.
Quotes
I marked too many as I read the book; picking just a couple to share was tough, so I just picked two about books:

“Books flew out the melting windows like panicked birds, their wings bright and phosphorescent. They were beautiful for a moment, the town remembers, the way a heart is beautiful in the moment before it breaks.”
“Space gets funny around books. ….Time, too, unspooled differently in the Reading Room. The more time the children spent there, the more time they seemed to have.”

In Summary
A must-must-must-read. You will fly through the 400 pages of the book in no time; and then want to keep reading. I am so glad I have not read The Girl Who Drank the Moon yet (for I can now keep reading Barnhill’s writing!)

PS - So wonderful to see this book getting all the accolades it so rightly deserves!!

The Ogress and the Orphans, a middle grade chapter book by Kelly Barnhill, reads like a fairy tale: a town dominated by an evil, glowing, greedy man, an orphanage full of sweet children who only hope of a better life ahead, and an outsider, the Ogress, who lurks nearby and leaves the community members gifts in order to alleviate their suffering. It is no surprise that this book was a National Book Award Finalist.

From the first page the reader knows that all of the characters will come to a head at one point and the journey to that climax is well worth the wait. I loved how skillfully Barnhill describes the relationships of the children towards one another and their caregivers. The mystery of the community's fire lingers over the whole story as they are told to hate the Ogress by their greedy, orange leader. The Ogress is my favorite character of the entire story. She has a gentleness that many can envision in a friend and the way she is treated is just heart-breaking. Children who read this will root for her and there will be discussions of the choices the characters make that drive the story forward.


This book is similar to Barnhill's other fantasy novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, a Newbery Medal winner. They both feature a misunderstood magical creature who is portrayed as the villain by power-hungry forces. Readers will delight in both of these stories as the action-packed scenes, humor, and heart over-ride any reminder that they are indeed, fantasy stories. Both of these lend themselves well to read-aloud books for teachers, parents, and caregivers. Every reader will want to discuss these rich stories that are sure to be classics.

This was another hit for Kelly Barnhill! I love all her books! This one was no exception. It's a book about love and trust and friendship, but most of all about neighbors. Hoe they rely on each other in times of need and stress. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a feel good story. It would be especially good to read in a classroom, to teach empathy.

I always love Kelly Barnhill's writing. It would have been perfect for younger me who read way above my grade level (which often meant reading topics way above my pay grade). Her language is beautiful, the world is easy to understand, and everything moves at a great pace.

Oh how I loved this novel. So heartwarming, such a wonderful message, and very timely. My students who have read this have also loved it. This shows the power of libraries, kindness, and community. A story everyone would benefit from reading.

An Ogress enters a town that has fallen apart. Everything was fine until one day it wasn't. Now there is a home full of orphans with nobody to care for them. An an ogree with nowhere to go, nobody wants him. The neighbors can't see who is good and who is bad. Read to find out if they can unite and take care of each other! Such a creative story.

The Ogress and the Orphans... ...and dragons, crows, and cats. Full of allegorical lessons about life: kindness, trust, sharing, citizenship, leadership. Wonderful, descriptive writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Kelly Barnhill has written another incredible fantasy adventure for middle grade readers. When a town, Stone-in-the-Glen, falls upon hard times and multiple challenges, the exhausted citizens are left grasping for a glimmer of hope which they find in The Mayor. That is until The Mayor, who alone can fix it, plants the seeds of mistrust in the hearts of the citizens creating an atmosphere of suspicion throughout the village. It is the orphan children who see past the undercurrent of greed and evil, distrust and division, to the love and generosity that is the true center of this beautiful community.

My biggest struggle with this book is that I am not sure what type of student will fall in love with it. It is not an easy read with plenty going on that it might be hard for some students to follow. I also wonder if some readers will find it to be too political and will perhaps choose not to finish it if it doesn't fit their personal beliefs and feelings. With that said, Kelly Barnhill has an absolute gift and imparts such wonderful wisdom and lessons through her magical use of lyrical language and metaphors.

A nice gentle book about accepting others and not trusting the ones in charge. Oh good grief. I don't have much to say about this book but wanted to say I had read and enjoyed it.

Stone-in-the-Glen is a village going through difficult times. The magic of this book captures the power of community. It looks at the concept that looks are very deceiving. The love expressed in the orphanage powers the community to do better. The generosity of the Ogress reminds us about compassion, and selflessness. What a great way to open up young readers eyes to….possibility.

The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill; Algonquin Books for Young Readers, 400 pages ($19.95). Ages 10 and up.

...

Kelly Barnhill, a Newbery Medalist for "The Girl Who Drank the Moon," offers both inspiration and enchantment in this exquisite fantasy, a thrilling tale of dragons and ogresses and orphans and pies and talking crows and a clever philosophical meditation on the question: "Who is my neighbor?"

Something has gone horribly wrong in in the once lovely town of Stone-on-Glen. It began "one terrible night" when "the Library burned." Then the school burned. A sinkhole opened in the town park. Once abundant with fruit trees, the town lost all its trees and was left with glaring sun, the light "a constant, searing whiteness, and difficult to bear." "Neighbors glared at one another... ... retreated into their homes.... locked their doors and latched their shutters." They blamed their misfortunes on the ogress who has taken up residence on an abandoned farm at the edge of town.

The Mayor, a silver-tongued, self-proclaimed world-famous dragon-hunter, at first assures the townspeople that all is well and then, after one of the orphans goes missing, agrees the ogress is to blame. Meanwhile, the town ("a drab, tightfisted, mean little place") has forgotten its promise to fund the orphanage, and its kindly elderly caretakers despair about feeding their 15 charges when boxes of produce and baked goods start to mysteriously appear on their doorstep at regular intervals. All the townspeople are left gifts of food accompanied by delicate drawings. Even the mayor finds a delectable pie on his doorstep.

Barnhill offers a vivid portrait of what love looks like in a community, in the Orphan House, with its marvelous array of children including the eldest, 13-year-old Cass and Anthea, its kindly caretakers and its library of books saved from the flames. Barnhill also offers a telling depiction of the subtle and sinister ways in which kindness can be abandoned and neighbor can turn against neighbor – and the ways in which generosity can multiply.

In press materials provided by the publisher, Barnhill says her book "started as a conversation with my twin nieces about philosophy. My niece Adeline informed me that the problem with philosophy is that there aren’t enough animals in it. And not enough people being nice. I told her ... that if I were to write a book about philosophy, it would absolutely be about kindness. And generosity too. What happens to us—at our very core—when we give to others? What happens to the soul when we turn away?”