Sometimes, you read a charming story, almost old-fashioned in its telling, and you don’t quite know why you like it so much. My Father’s Dragon was a book like that; The Upside Down River - Hannah’s Journey was another. When I picked up the book, I didn’t know that it was the sequel to a million-copy bestseller, Tomek’s Journey. Nor did I know that it wasn’t originally written in English; it’s translated from French. And sometimes, I think it’s that elusive detail that you can’t quite put your finger on, some cultural or contextual disconnect, something different from what you’re used to, that makes the book striking.Hannah is determined to find the river Qjar, an upside down river. Only water from the river can save her songbird, who is actually an enchanted princess. With Hannah, we go on a journey across deserts and through forests, meeting impossible creatures and having … [Read more...]