Anastasia Morningstar and the Crystal Butterfly

Susan Perks, formerly a teacher and librarian, is a travel agent in
Thompson, Manitoba.

The story begins with the woman at the corner store turning a boy into a frog. Sarah and Ben see this and become curious. Sarah decides to make this woman the subject of her science project. Her science teacher, believing in the laws of nature, is rather skeptical. Sarah and Ben befriend the woman, Anastasia Morningstar, and are fascinated by her. She lends them a beautifully painted box, in which everyone who peers inside sees a different object. Interestingly, the science teacher is the only person who sees a crystal butterfly in the box. Throughout the book the crystal butterfly appears. Anastasia prefers to keep her talent to herself — she dislikes publicity — and the children expose a con man who wants to exploit her power.

The children in the book are in the fifth grade. Most fourth and fifth graders would find this book entertaining; however, it seems to be written at a deeper level, and I believe that older children would understand it better and get more out of it. The style is certainly easy to read, with a fair amount of dialogue. Barry Trower’s illustrations are interesting and accurate.

This is an entertaining, appealing, and thought-provoking book; however, I just can’t decide at which age group it is aimed.