Trillium Sisters 1: The Triplets Get Charmed

Three sisters discover that they and their pets have superpowers they can use to protect the world around them in the first book in a fantastical new chapter book series about family, friendship, and environmental responsibility perfect for fans of Mia Mayhem and The Wish Fairy.\nNothing can stop this triple team!\nEight-year-old triplets Emmy, Clare, and Giselle are excited to celebrate Founding Day, the day their dad found them and they became a family. The girls want this year's celebration to be extra special. And Dad has a big sur¬prise--trillium petal charms that he found with the girls.\nBut when the girls' little brother, Zee, slips into the river while helping them plan a special surprise, something magical happens: The charms are drawn together, forming a glowing flower, and the girls suddenly have super¬powers! Channeling their new abilities, they work together to try to save Zee, but will they be able to figure out how to help in time?\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 1–3—Eight-year-old triplets Emmy, Clare, and Giselle are planning a surprise to celebrate the day their veterinarian father found them in the woods and made them a family. Their dad has a special "Founding Day" gift, too: a charm for each of them in the shape of a trillium flower petal, found alongside them (and their animal companions) when they were babies. When their little brother Zee tries to help with the surprise and ends up in serious danger, the charms magically combine, giving each girl a superpower. Once Zee is safely rescued, the sisters' newly discovered powers wear off, leaving them and readers with more questions than answers—ostensibly to be explored in future installments. The story is plot driven and, aside from Zee's rescue, largely unresolved. Character development is wanting; with little to make each protagonist distinctive, all three of them feel more or less interchangeable, and secondary characters are flat as well. Much of the dialogue is exclamatory, contributing to the markedly cheerful tone of the writing. In the cover art, the sisters are depicted in varying skin tones, though they are never described in the text; interior illustrations are rendered in grayscale. VERDICT The upbeat tone and mysterious origin story may attract some readers, but this series opener lacks substance. Those with a taste for superpowers or magic are better served by series like Kara West's "Mia Mayhem."—Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elem. Sch., Elkins Park, PA