Release: November 5th, 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N.
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Welcome, little one. In the dark and the light, you have been chosen to join us in love and cloth, in safety and danger. You join us.
Everyone thinks that Clark is too old to still play with stuffed animals. He’s almost eleven! Bullies target him at school while his mother tries increasingly un-subtle ways to wean him off his toys and introduce more “normal” interests. But Clark can’t shake the feeling that his stuffed friends are important, even necessary. Sometimes they move around in the night. And sometimes, in the morning, they look a little worse for wear as if they’ve engaged in battle. And it turns out, he’s right.
Clark’s dad is under attack by a nefarious, shadowy monster called King Darker. And only Clark’s stuffies can fight him off. The problem is, no one believes Clark. When his mom attempts to rid the house of stuffed animals to try to get him to grow up, she’s actually putting Clark’s dad and the entire household in mortal peril. Now it’s up to Clark’s grandma-made sock animal, Foon, to save the day. Luckily, being handmade by a loved one gives Foon extra battle points, but he’s still a brand-new stuffy. Does he have what it takes to rid Clark’s house of all its monsters?
Told through both Clark’s and Foon’s points of view, Stuffed confirms every kid’s dream: that stuffed animals do have a life and a purpose and that sometimes the most unconventional friendships are also the most valuable.
About the Author:
Liz Braswell spent her childhood reading fairy tales, catching frogs, and going on adventures in the woods with her stuffed animals. She has a degree in Egyptology from Brown University (and yes, she can write your name in hieroglyphs).
After making video games for ten years, Liz now writes full-time and plays video games for fun. She has written Snow, Rx, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, and several books in the best-selling Twisted Tale series, including Part of Your World and As Old as Time.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish, and five coffee trees, and still sleeps with a Stuffy. You can email her at me@lizbraswell.com or find her on Instagram and Twitter @LizBraswell.
Stuffed (Stuffed #1) by Liz Braswell Review:
“Stuffed” is an adorable, innovative, and extremely creative book, and I loved reading it!
I loved the story’s theme, where the author beautifully portrays that you should never give up your dreams and beliefs, no matter how dire the circumstances are. The author wonderfully paces the story, and there is never a dull moment. The book also has creative tips about sewing your stuffed animal and cute illustrations of Foon in between. The author fills the story with love, friendship, adventure (at a camp), cute stuffed animals, and an epic battle in the end!
Clark is terrific in the lead. He is scared to leave his bubble in the beginning but still has fun at the camp. He never changes as a person but learns to be himself and adapt to others. I loved the scenes where he goes on his first quest to find the phone and when Foon goes on his mission towards the end.
The author also wonderfully writes the stuffed animals. I don’t think I have ever become emotionally invested in a fictional stuffed animal until I read of Foon. Foon is adorable, brave, and has all the characteristics of being a warrior. Moreover, it’s hard to be angry at some of the stringent characters, like Clark’s mom, because you find out the reason for her behavior. On a side note, I also loved Grandma and the bond she had with Clark.
I cannot wait to read the 2nd book to see how the series continues! I hope D.A. and Catherine-Lucille make another appearance as I would love to read about them. Overall, “Stuffed” is a terrific book that I feel a reader of any age would thoroughly enjoy.
