The Green Kingdom

by Cornelia Funke

Caspia‘s summer is transformed when she discovers a bundle of letters containing ten botanical riddles in this enchanting adventure.

Twelve-year-old Caspia hates big cities, especially one as busy as New York. So she isn’t thrilled by the news that her parents are taking her to stay in Brooklyn. It's summer-devouring bad luck! But everything changes when Caspia discovers a bundle of letters, hidden in an old chest of drawers. They belonged to two sisters who lived there long ago. Each letter contains a ‘green’ riddle, with clues leading to a different plant.

Caspia sets out to solve the riddles and, as she does, she meets friends she could never have imagined and discovers that anywhere can feel like home, if you are just brave enough to put down new roots.

The newest adventure from renowned and award winning author of Inkheart and Dragon Rider, Cornelia Funke weaves magic into every sentence of this new and exciting mystery set in the heart of New York City. The Green Kingdom is perfect for fans of the Greenwild series.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Childrens

Paperback

About the author

Cornelia Funke is a multiple award-winning German illustrator and storyteller, who writes fantasy for all ages of readers. Amongst her best known books is the Inkheart trilogy. Many of Cornelia's titles are published all over the world and translated into more than 30 languages. She has two children, two birds and a very old dog and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

One Liner: Entertaining and informative

Twelve-year-old Caspia is not a fan of cities. She lives in Maine and doesn’t want to move to Brooklyn with her parents even if it is for just three months. However, she discovers a bundle of letters with riddles about plants and finds herself exploring the Green Kingdom, staying connected to her best friends, and making new friends in Brooklyn. Soon, Caspia realizes that home can be more than one place if you are brave enough to let the roots grow.

The story comes in Caspia’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:

This is my first book by the author (though once upon a time I DNF’d book one of the Ink Heart trilogy). This is a standalone and a short read filled with the beauty of plants, friendships, and hope.

Caspia is an interesting main character. She is almost thirteen and happy in Maine. Naturally, the temporary move to Brooklyn that summer doesn’t make her happy. Her character grows from being set in her ways to becoming adventurous while worrying about ifs and buts. She also learns a lot about plants (from not knowing how an onion grows to caring for her little garden, it’s quite a progress).

Our MC’s best friends, Laryssa and Elle, have distinct personalities and are fun in their own ways. It is easy to see the bonding between the three girls and how they support and tease each other.

The new friends Caspia makes in Brooklyn are also lovely, be it Jemila, Mrs. Wahid, or Ado. There’s good diversity without making it the focus but also not limiting it to a checklist. The balance is just right.

Since the book’s core is Green Kingdom, we learn many intriguing facts and myths about different plants. The riddles in the letters are entertaining. I had a great time guessing them before Caspia. I got more than 60% right, so that’s a win. ;)

That said, there were two clues with Hindu gods, and I have never heard of those… like ever! These are not commonly known. In fact, I’m not sure if these bits really belong to our Puranas or were fabricated over the years through random retellings. I’m curious where the author found them.

There are black and white illustrations (pencil sketches) of the plant/ flower and a few important settings. The sweet illustrations elevate the content and make it easy for young readers to visualize the details. Of course, I still had to google a few plants (and realized one of them is a common plant in India but I had no idea about its name). (Clue: Some people partly consume that flower to taste its nectar.)

The pacing is steady, and the book is the right length for the target audience. However, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Caspia’s efforts to figure out the clues. Thanks to technology, she gets the answers easily. That reminds me how well technology is used in the book. We see the positive usage of technology in providing knowledge and helping people stay connected.

I have to mention Caspia’s parents, especially her mom. Boy, she loves to experiment with food! As a picky eater, I won’t be eager to try her dishes but I’m glad to see her determination and success. The adults on the whole are pretty responsible and good.

To summarize, The Green Kingdom is a lovely read about plants, friendships, and letting one’s roots grow. It is a cozy and charming read. Not much of adventure or danger but something on the emotional/ personal level.

Thank you, NetGalley and DK Children, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #TheGreenKingdom

[talia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

cornelia funke spent 13 years writing books that saved my childhood and now she's coming back to save my 20's

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book. This was my first Cornelia Funke book and will definitely not be my last.
Whilst reading the letters I felt like I was transported back in time.
I liked all the characters and watching their friendships develop. The plant puzzles were intriguing and I found myself trying to figure them out before the answers were revealed.
I would recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley for proving me with an early copy to review.

[Star Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caspia is a real Negative Nancy for the first half of the book. She berates her family for dragging her away from all she loves to live in a place she has spent her childhood mocking. She picks at her friends' traits. Really, her attitude was almost enough for me to DNF. The inconsistency of the characters also chafed. A mother obsessed with cooking, and who knows random recipes that include wild plants, has a daughter with zero plant knowledge because they have no garden, no houseplants. Caspia claims she is a country girl having grown up in Maine, yet she has no rural interests. Her entire behavior is rich surbanite.

The saving grace to the novel was the green kingdom and the plant riddles. Rosalind's letters introduce really fun facts about some of the most commonly interacted with plants. We get to learn myths and legends about common plants such as dandelion, mint, apple, cinnamon, nettle, as well as enjoying a few more exotic choices. We experience the plant on culinary, medicinal, and artistic levels. The group of people Caspia meets on her journey to solve all the riddles are eccentric and build quite a community. I was pumped to see all of this in a middle grade novel.

The whole story tanked, however, when the author just had to step onto the soap box. There was zero reason for any of the forced tangents. Each interaction felt like stamping a box on the diversity bingo card to win the publisher's attention. The book really hit zero stars at that point. Since I read all the way to the end, I felt one star was necessary. Then, I decided to include one star for the green kingdom riddles and the personality growth Caspia does manage by the end of the tale. There is no way I can recommend this to other readers, though.

[Tatyana Naumova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Очень все тут хорошо в книге)

[milliereadsalot · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was very sweet and heartwarming, and I hope will inspire some green-fingers in kids reading it! There’s so much focus on friendship, and I think the facts about the plants were really great to include. This is a great summer read for kids!

[Kaylie Winterton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ this was such a fun middle grade read. It was enchanting and lovely and a great story about adventure and building community. Some of the writing was a little irritating, which is why it’s 4.5 stars.

[Here_Lies_the_Bookdragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

12-year old Caspia and her parents are spending a few months in Brooklyn over the summer, and Caspia is not excited. On her first day there, she finds 10 letters from Rosalind to her sister Minna, who lived in the apartment they're staying at. Rosalind was traveling with her father, and would send riddles to her sister describing various plants. This means - of course - that Caspia spends her summer solving the plant riddles, making great friends along the way, while her mum tries to come up with new recipes to go with every plant she identifies.

I haven't read anything by Cornelia Funke since I aged out of the target audience about 15 years ago. I do have clear memories of my dad 'borrowing' the inkheart books after I'd gone to bed and spending several days waiting for him to stop reading so I could start. Infuriating back then, but after reading 'The Green Kingdom' I completely get it - I'd probably steal this off a child too 😇

It's a lovely little novel from an author who clearly appreciates that kids are smart and curious. It's also very likely to have your child attempting to identify every plant she sees for a while (and wanting to cook with it). I'd happily recommend it for all generations - but either read it together or wait until your child is done!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC❤️

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a delightful and cozy read. We follow our protagonist finding letters from two sisters with hints regarding different type of plants. While dreading spending her summer away, she follows these hints and meets new people on the way. This was amazing! I could not figure out most of the hints, but I loved spending time with this characters. The plants facts were super interesting as well! The letters kept the story flowing super well, alongside the characters that were lovely to read about. The backdrop of Brooklyn as a setting was super fun as well! If you’re looking for a lovely and heartwarming story, this one might be for you! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

[A Menagerie of Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

This would have been a 5 star read if it wasn't for a couple of comments throughout the story. I don't feel like any of that was necessary.

Otherwise, this was a great story. I loved all the plant talk and learning about new plants.

[Madison Marino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute little book! I read this mostly at the beach which was a great decision! I really loved the characters - they felt real to me despite the very idyllic setting of the story. I would highly suggest this book to anyone looking for a simple little story about learning to love a new environment.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was super light-hearted but still had these magical, thoughtful moments. The riddles were such a fun touch, and I really enjoyed the friendships Caspia made along the way. Just a really cozy, feel-good read. Recommended for all you plant lovers! :)

[Ivana · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, dear Cornelia 💚 what a magical treat !

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about plants, friendship, and making the best of being out of your comfort zone. This is a great spring/summer read for kids :)

[Mar 🧡🤍🩷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books about plants 🌱🌿🪴

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cornelia Funke has written such an eclectic list of books-Dragon Rider, Ghosthunters series, The Thief Lord, Igraine the Brave, to name a few-and now a realistic fiction novel for those who love plants, riddles, friendship stories, and/or books with moving as a theme. THE GREEN KINGDOM begins with 12 year old Caspia finding out that her dad’s work is sending him to Brooklyn, NY from their home in Maine for 3 months and she and her mom are going with him. Leaving her two best friends behind has Caspia pretty certain that this will be the worst summer ever and with its embroidered pillows and flowered wallpaper, the apartment they are renting doesn’t help much. But when she discovers a bundle of letters between two sisters with plant riddles in them, Caspia sets out to identify and then find each flowering plant which leads to her meeting an Indonesian woman who runs a spice shop, a young woman who works in her aunt’s bookish flower store and a boy name Ado whose father works at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Shy Caspia finds her voice and learns that she can put down roots in a new home and then blend the two when she returns to Maine.

Such great characters coming together over their love of plants in this book! Caspia’s mother was wonderful with all her efforts to use all of the riddle plants in her adventurous cooking while attending as many cooking classes as possible so she can turn all her creative recipes into a cookbooks. Mrs Wahid’s spice shop sounded like a a quirky shop with its ceiling high shelves and all those drawers and nooks plus a finicky dog to boot. And who wouldn’t want to visit a flower shop that uses books new and old as part of the displays? Funke’s worksmithing skills brings all of these people and places to life in a way that will thrill the soul of any ELA teacher and make every reader certain they all really exist.

Highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4-6 with high circulation in realistic fiction. The relatively low page count of 225 pages will make this Text in the arc is free of violence and sexual content and only one “damn” (totally unnecessary and I have no clue why it was included and hope it’s not in the final copy). Funke’s characters are from diverse backgrounds and reflect the mix of cultures present not only in Brooklyn but everywhere.

Thanks for the electronic ARC, NetGalley.

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to DK Children and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

When I first saw the cover, the title and the name of Cornelia Funke I immediately assumed this was going to be a fantasy middle grade. Well it is a middle grade but a fantasy it is not. That however doesn't change that this is still a splendid book for kids.

Caspia is not going to be spending her summer the way that she wants to. With her friends in her little town, eating ice cream. What is she even suppose to do in a big city like New York? She feels like it might eat her alive. But when she finds a bundle of letters in the appartment that they are renting, a mystery starts that sends her through all the corners of Brooklyn.

This is just a very cute story about a young girl who gets uprooted out of her comfort. Her focus on the riddles and her curiousity makes her forget that she initially isn't comfortable. That way she makes some friends. She learns that you can put down root in more places than just one.

It will also perhaps make some kids curious about all the different plants and their historical applications as the riddles shared a lot about those kind of things. It certainly made Caspia interested. She even made her own window-sill garden.

I liked that her parents weren't non-existant in this story. They weren't constantly there, she was old enough to go out by herself. But they were apart of her life. They knew that she was out making new friends and being interested in plants. Her mom even went along to figure out if she could make a recipe with every plant that Caspia found.

Overal a fun middle grade story.

[Kelly Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read a new Cornelia Funke title. Inkheart was my favorite book in middle school, so I instantly picked this one up. Thank you, DK Children for allowing me to read this review copy.

In this delightful and wholesome Middle Grade novel, we meet Caspia; a 12-year-old who finds out she'll be spending her summer in Brooklyn, NY instead of her hometown in Maine. She is forced to leave everything she loves behind, but discovers a secret mystery once she arrives at her new (but temporary) home.

The secret mystery being a set of 10 letters written by Rosalind, a blind girl on a botany expedition with her father. Rosalind wrote these letters for her sister, and included clues for her sister to discover a new plant in the Green Kingdom.

As Caspia reads through each letter, she discovers new plants, friendships, and even a little bit of a first love. But more importantly she discovers that she is able to set roots down in multiple places, and that it's okay to admit that you care about something (or someone) even if you'll eventually have to leave it behind.

I did think the book ended a bit abruptly, and her relationship with Rosalind was slightly unrealistic. But overall, I loved everything about this story. The characters were very likeable, and I am always really happy when a MG title includes healthy parental/child relationships.

I cannot wait to share this with my Cornelia Funke-obsessed students.

[Krystal LHL · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 year old and I read this together. She gave it a 5 star and really enjoyed it. She did say, “I thought there would be a Green Kingdom for real, like they would go there.” I think she was expecting more fantasy elements based on the name of the book. I explained it was a bit more of a metaphor. That plants are used in folklore, myths, or have magical properties in different cultures. Nature as a whole is really like a magical kingdom. We loved trying to solve the riddles. After each letter we would chat about the clues and then read on to see if we were right. The story was very engaging and inspired a lot of conversations. It gave us an opportunity to chat about some important topics such as racism after the cotton plant riddle. There were a few pretty illustrations throughout the book that added a really special element. An opportunity to stop and reflect on the chapter. This was geared to middle school children but my younger child really enjoyed it as well and could read most of it independently. Some words were a bit challenging for her but she sounded them out and asked what they meant. Great for building her vocabulary!

Themes included change and grow, found families, friendship, inspiration to try new things.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely [children's - middle grade] story about a young girl, a summer in a new city [BROOKLYN!!!!], and some mysterious old letters [found in a beautiful old dresser] and what comes from reading the letters [and from learning her new neighborhood and neighbors], and how making new friends, staying in touch with old friends [who are both excited about the mysteries and very valuable in helping the solving of them], and everyone working together in the mysterious adventure leads to fun, learning, and a very satisfying end.

Sprinkled with gorgeous illustrations [that really add to the overall story], plant, flower, and spice lore, and a story-within-a-story, this was a lovely way to spend an afternoon!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cornelia Funke, Tammi Hartung - Ethrobotanist, Melissa Castrilloh - Illustrator, and DK/DK Children for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharni · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Cornelia Funke! The cover caught my eye and I just had to read it! It’s got a classic MG set up - girl’s family moves away for the summer and while initially against it - ends up having the best time!!

Caspia from Maine starts to soften towards Brooklyn when she discovers a stash of old letters between sisters at the apartment her parents have rented for the summer. Each letter contains a clue about a plant and before long Caspia is set on an adventure towards solving riddles, falling in love with nature and making new friends in the neighbourhood. All in all - just a feel good time!

[Meg (fiction_gryphon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight!

I’m not usually one to pick up a realistic fiction title, but when my favorite author is involved, I’ll give anything a try.

Maybe it’s my burgeoning love of gardening/herbs talking, but I loved every moment of this story. Even though it was set in reality, you never lost that sparkle of Funke magic.

The plant riddles were just challenging enough, and I adored how they tied onto historical moments, fairytale lore and mythical anecdotes.

The Green Kingdom has easily taken up residence as the runner-up to my beloved Inkheart series for favorite Cornelia Funke book!

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a delightful bite sized story. That reads like a love letter to plants, books, and different cultures. The riddles that Caspia finds with the letters. Tease your knowledge of botany and show the many influences and uses of each plant. I loved all the unique shops and gardens she visited. The characters are all varied and interesting too. An enchanting read.

(Thank you to Netgalley for the arc)

[Kenzley Ricklefs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caspia is upset about going to Brooklyn New York, she wanted to go on a grand adventure to Madagascar to see lemurs once their arrive at their rented house she finds strange letters from the previous tenants, these letters send caspia on an adventure to find all different kinds of plants, and she makes friends a long the way the ending was very sweet and I hope there will be another book. But the cliff hanger made me wonder what tree they were going to see.

[Jenna O'Malley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for my daughter who is in fact still four months old.

I loved the design and all the information about plants and their chareristics. There are a few great sketches in here as well!

The plot is mostly plant related so for that I knocked off a few points, but this was still a fun and quick easy read! I can't wait to gift this to her when she is older. ❤️

[Amanda Purscell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read, but not really my thing. It's about a tweenager and the many adventures she goes on while living in another state for the summer. (Her dad found work and couldn't pass it up.) Like I said, it's a good book, but took me WAY longer to read than it should have. It just never really captured my true interest.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming story, slow at times but a good read

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute read with my daughter
She said her favorite parts were the riddles. We had fun guessing which plant would be next.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved not only the plot, but the riddles in the letters themselves. Very fun book by one of my favorite authors.

[Jen Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to my nature-loving 8 year old daughter. She enjoyed it, especially trying to guess the plants Rosalind had written clues about. But I thought this book was pretty boring.