The Princess and the Goblin
Recommended. Age: 10+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
This is a fairy tale about faith. Irene must follow a thread she cannot see and trust a grandmother others say is not there, and Curdie has to learn to believe without seeing. Chesterton said it shaped his whole view of life. The reservation is small. The goblin scenes can frighten young children, and the Victorian prose is slow for some.
For parents
Read aloud from 6 or 7, independent reading from 10. Plugged In says 11 and up, and Seton uses it in grade 6. Ask why Curdie could not see the grandmother at first. Ask what the thread is like in our own lives. Then read John 20:29 together.