Molly and the Sword by Robert Shlasko, (1996) is unoriginal and tedious. Molly is a good daughter who demonstrates qualities one might want to instill in young readers. She lives in a small village, keeps an eye on her younger brother and sister, and helps her father in his clock shop. When her happy family experiences adversity, Molly is courageous.
When good times return, her father sells his most beautiful clock and uses the money to purchase Molly a violin. Against all odds, and with self-confidence beyond her years, she becomes a famous violinist. At the end of the story, she encounters royalty who appeared early on as an enemy. One moral of the story seems to be that this royal figure “taught her that an enemy could become a friend.” In the context of this story and with the accompanying illustration, I found this ending disturbing. Despite Donna Diamond’s careful illustrations, I can’t recommend this book.
