The Guardian Test

The Guardian Test
Christina Soontornvat
Scholastic, 2023
147 pages
Grades 3-5
Fantasy
Legends of Lotus Island series #1

Plum has spent her entire life on her rural island with her grandparents where she communicates with animals and plants, helping to make them grow. Unbeknownst to  her, Grandfather nominates Plum to join the prestigious school for Guardian training on the Santipap Islands. All of the other students are from wealthier and more cultured areas and Plum feels out of step. Luckily, she meets a new friend, Cherry, and the two girls bond over being named after fruits and feeling less sophisticated than the other students. Other friends emerge from unexpected places as Plum finds her footing and gains self-confidence. Training proves to be difficult and Plum worries that she is not advancing fast enough. Will she pass the test and learn to transform into a mythical beast in order to protect the land? The school mean-girl seems to hate Plum from the start. When she offers Plum a shortcut to transformation, the young student is torn. Should she accept the gift and force the transformation or depend on the process and risk being sent home?

Three-time Newbery honor winning author, Soontornvat, knows her way around storytelling. This new series, though for a slightly younger audience than her usual middle grade, fills a much needed void and scores a bullseye for the target audience. here is a gap between early chapter books and denser stories where it is difficult to find books, especially fantasy. Kids not quite ready for Harry Potter or Rick Riordan will greatly enjoy this series opener, filled with lovable magical creatures, ninja-type sparring, and colorful characters. The plot is relatively straightforward and the setting is fully and magically realized. Though there are a good number of characters, they are distinctive and not confusing. Readers will relate to plucky Plum and her struggles with fitting in, imposter syndrome, and the tempation of a shortcut. Plum's abilities to communicate with animals and plants are compelling and though she does not see them as special, young readers will be envious. Though the story is lighter and simpler than the author's usual fare, it is nevertheless a slam dunk and a welcome new series. The next installment, Into the Shadow Mist will be released in July, so readers do not have long to wait.