Favorite things: the narrator addresses the reader occasionally, the protagonist is aware she's in a fairy story, and the chapters all have a "...in which..." subheading.

the words used are big and complex. way too strange language for the average reader. it just doesnt seem to go anywheres in the first 5 or so chapters. i almost quit half ways thru.... however that being said! it totally reminds me of "alice in wonderland" style book! this is NOT a book you can multi task with, you must sit there and read and become absorbed in the words and whats being described. if you stick it out, it has a most amazing climax and reveals at the end. (personally i hate it so much when you work thru a tough book and the ending is disappointing. but this one at least wraps it up into a spectacular conclusion) little bits are funny and other parts you will get emotional. this makes the book a *very* satisfying experience. so this may be above most readers, but at least it was 1. intersting 2. different 3. unpredictable 4. imaginative and 5. she was from NEBRASKA! WOO! SHOUT OUT TO OMAHA! ;)

I fell in love with this book from the opening page. A brilliant and complex fairytale, Valente weaves a narrative reminiscent of some of my favourite classic children's books, Peter Pan and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The language is rich and beautiful, effortlessly creating fantastic images, delightful dialogue, and establishing a narrative voice that's thoroughly charming. And speaking of charming, September is a delightful heroine to follow as she encounters an amazing cast of characters that it is impossible not to love. The illustrations heading up each chapter are also a delight and bring Fairyland to life with grace and detail. A great fairytale for those full of heart or, like our heroine, September, the somewhat heartless.

An absolutely wonderful fairy tale fantasy in the spirit of Alice in Wonderland, the Oz books, and The Phantom Tollbooth. Cat Valente's story doesn't condescend to children or adults. It's smart, funny, thrilling, enchanting and surreal.

As an adult I may not be the target audience for this book, but I still greatly enjoyed it! It's fun and whimsical. A wonderful choice for a time when you want to escape the real world and spend some time in "what if".

I read this book with my 8 year old son. While this was a tough read for him, with lots of new words and complex sentence structure, he hung in there because the story is so good. The story is not fast moving, but does progress at a good pace, with lots of mystery and it is funny too. There is lots of adventure and magic, and good vs evil. Plus, it is written beautifully.

Both my 10 year old daughter and I tried this. It didn't appeal to her. I found it long on whimsy and short on plot. Didn't engage me.

I decided to read this book because I saw Catherynne Valente read an excerpt from the sequel to this book and speak about being a female fantasy author at a panel hosted by the New York Public Library this past Spring. "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland" is very reminiscent of "The Wizard of Oz" in that a young girl enters a fantastical realm, contends with a malevolent sorceress, and acquires various fantastical friends who help her on her journey through Fairyland. The strength of Valente's story comes from her unexpected ideas (the cloth city, the wild bicycles) but her description of these things are sometimes weak and hard to visualize. Thus, it wasn't as engrossing as it could have been. I also felt that the story was weakened by the lack of "rules" in Fairy Land. With an "anything goes" mentality, there are no stakes or logic to add momentum and coherency. The protagonist, September, is a modern girl though who sometimes has to kill her food to eat, wrestle someone to win, and build a boat herself. She's an inspiring character and I admire the way Valente portrayed complex gender roles throughout. The book ends with some intriguing unresolved issues so I will read the sequel but I'll save it for a slow phase when I've run out of other things to read.

This children's novel attracted me by the title, but that is just a couple of chapters of the story. September is the name of the girl, and when asked by the Green Wind if she wants to go to Fairyland, she doesn't hesitate. The time is World War II (although not stated explicitly) and her father is off in Europe where the war is, while her mother builds airplane engines. September is quite handy herself, as she proves along the way. Getting into Fairyland isn't as easy as she thinks, and she finds that there is more than one way of doing it. Once she arrives, she finds that Fairyland itself has undergone a few changes, and the one in charge seems to be a bit of a tyrant, especially compared to the previous well-loved Queen Mallow. This book talks about losing one's heart and the tendency towards heartlessness in many children, but also the changes that take place as one gets to care about others. September is an adventurous child, but also one who is willing to make friends and take care of those she believes deserve it. She is a good judge of character, and not as heartless as she thinks. From soap sculpture characters to large dragon-like creatures, from sea creatures to walking lanterns, September finds many interesting friends along her journey. Her actions will bind her to Fairyland in a way she never imagined. I particularly loved the Wyverary, a creature whose mother was a Wyvern and whose father was a Library. His knowledge is limited to A to L, but very useful still. September herself likes words, and is a reader who "liked it best when words did not pretend to be simple, but put on their full armor and rode out with colors flying." The Fairyland portrayed here is an interesting one, with certain rules, places that move around, and dangerous forests. A great place for an adventure for a young girl with an attitude.

For sure an excellent book, but I found it odd--like, a children's adventure as told from an adult's perspective.