Title: Caught in the Enigmas of the Enchanted Forest
Author: Ne’zz Amar
Publisher: PartridgeSingapore
ISBN: 1543762662
Pages: 104
Genre: Fantasy, Children
Reviewed by: Jennifer Bailey

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Little Miss Grumpy Shaylee lives up to her name and spends her days angry at pretty much everything and everyone. The entire village refers to her as “Little Miss Grumpy Shaylee,” and she does not care when she hurts someone’s feelings. One day she is exploring an enchanted forest and she bumps into a dwarf who grants her one wish, but as everyone knows wishes come with a price. Now Shaylee’s life is turned upside down! Find out what Shaylee has to do to make her wish come true.

The Evil Sorcerer in the Forest is a story about a girl named Piper who finds herself lost in the same enchanted forest Shaylee was in. But instead of getting a wish granted, she is on a quest looking for her mom who has been missing. Piper fights for her life against many dangerous creatures and an evil sorcerer. Will she be able to survive and find her mom?

This small collection of short stories is one that displays the internal conflicts many children experience as they go through various transitional phases of their lives. Throughout the two stories, the girls learn how to handle and cope with multiple emotions they may not have felt previously. With each story, the book teaches the kids the difference between the right and wrong ways to cope with emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. Not only does author Ne’zz Amar take kids through a fantastical journey of entertainment, Amar takes them on a journey of self-discovery and self-growth.

While it seems like there are some big themes, Ne’zz Amar writes in a way which reaches the readers. Ne’zz Amar does a great job at writing stories which reach the young audience at their level, and doesn’t use language they may not understand. Ne’zz Amar puts the situations into their perspective so it is easier to understand what is happening and how they might adapt their skills.  Ne’zz Amar creates two main characters who are strong females and shows them, with flaws and a willingness to learn, how to grow into better people. They are likeable young girls, even Shaylee with her anger problems; she is likeable despite that, and Amar shows she is inherently a good kid, but needs to learn how to be nicer.

This is a great short book child behavior therapists could use to help teach kids appropriate ways to handle what can seem like adult emotions. Kids will enjoy these two entertaining tales and come back wanting more. Ne’zz Amar teaches kids without them fully knowing they are being taught – educates while entertaining – which is something so vital. Ne’zz Amar gives parents, teachers, specialists and children a wonderful resource. Caught in the Enigmas of the Enchanted Forest is a great book to be in classrooms and libraries. Hopefully there will be more stories in the future.