Customer Reviews
Fantastic children's story 
2008-07-30
Very well written and charming children's story. My 2nd and 3rd grader both loved it and I enjoyed it as well. So many contemporary kid's books seem dumbed-down in vocabulary and structure but Horns&Wrinkles is a masterwork of children's fiction. The vocabulary is challenging but not beyond the reach of primary schoolers, the characters are varied and interesting while not being trite, and the plot is involved and engaging and never seems forced.
Unlike so much of contemporary children's entertainment there are no poop jokes. :) And when children misbehave or mouth off to their parents there are consequences. A great story for the whole family.
Wonderful book 2008-07-01
The cover art is what drew me to this book. I knew nothing about it but chose it for the art. It looked interesting. As a 26 year old, I had a great time reading this book. It's not just for children. I did stay up a bit too late reading it because it had my curiosity.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too 
2008-06-04
HORNS & WRINKLES is destined to become a classic.
With pixies, rock trolls, river trolls, and magic along the Mississippi River, how could it not?
The story begins with Claire's cousin, Duke, dangling her above the river. This comes back to haunt Duke later, because he begins to turn into a rhino. He falls in league with a few river trolls. Claire uncovers a master plan that may cause Duke harm, but when she tries to tell him he won't listen.
This is a great story about racing against time and learning something about yourself. With twists and turns that aren't expected, it is fun, quick, and easy to read.
It's enjoyable for all ages.
Reviewed by: Elly
Witty and Fun Children's Fantasy 2008-05-27
This fun, witty and well-written fantasy tells of Claire, who lives near a magical stretch of the Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin and of the adventure, or should I say trouble, she gets into because of her bully of a cousin, Duke.
The book opens with Duke hanging her by the ankles off a bridge over the Mississippi:
"The river I was hanging over was the Mississippi, which was flooding, all muddy and solid-looking as a freight train, about twenty feet below my ponytail. It was early May. None of the trees had turned green yet, but you could smell it coming fast."
Duke's bullying--and the magic of the river--lands him with a rhino-nose, with troll friends and no desire to go back home. That means that Claire, with the help of a magical old lady, other trolls, some lying crickets and some good luck, has to rescue him from a horrible fate.
The result is a ripping good yarn combined with colorful, sometimes beautiful, prose. Horns and Wrinkles is now in my top 20 favorite children's fantasies. It was pure chance that I came across it, but now I'm going to give it a blanket recommendation to my friends (adults and children)--read it!
Something new in fantasy 2007-12-20
Set in the sort-of here and now, this is a wonderful fantasy. It has memorable and distinctive characters, unlike many fantasies, and creates a whole new Mississippi River mythology. Every kid I've recommended it to has liked it.
wonderful 2007-11-20
How can you tell if a river's under a spell? River trolls, rock trolls, blue-wing fairies—the usual suspects. The stretch of the Mississippi where Claire lives has rumors of them all, not that she's ever spotted any. But then Claire's cousin Duke takes a swim and sprouts a horn—a long, pointy, handsome thing. After that, Claire doesn't have much choice but to believe that something rivery is going on, especially since she's the only one who can help Duke lose his new addition.
I keep getting this one for brithday parties 2007-09-30
This was a gift for my 6 year old twins for Christmas and I have purchased about 5-6 more to give as gifts for their friends. A good fantasy tale without pink and purple fairies (though there is fairy dust), interesting characters and a compelling, quirky plot. My husband and I competed to see who would read with my daughters as it was a good read for us too.
Juvie Fantasy with a fantastic moral 2007-09-08
The universe created in this book - a pocket of magic trapped along the northern part of the Mississippi - is so very real and imaginable. The author has done such a fantastic job of portraying the fantastic that even his footnote on how to find the fictional town is cute and believable.
The story itself centers around a few main characters. The main three: Claire, her cousin Duke, and a strange, nameless old lady are introduced within the first few pages. Claire is the hero of this tome. She's pure and cute and feisty. Duke is her bully of a cousin, and his bullying ways lead him down a strange path.
Claire's family are not thoroughly described, and yet, you feel as if you know them anyhow, so good is the craft in these words. You can see her moody older sisters, her uncle the dog-trainer, her grandfather the storyteller.
The story did at times have a bit too much reliance on the magical, though, and I found myself a bit lost trying to follow just what the author was trying to express.
But in the end, it was a very good story with a very good hero and a very good lesson. A good easy read for any fantasy reader; a good find for a young adult.
(*)>
loved it 2007-04-12
The writing was good and the story line an orginal mixture of reality and fairy tale!
An excellent fantasy adventure powered by strong characterization evolves. 2006-12-10
Joseph Helgerson's HORNS & WRINKLES tells of a river possibly under a spell: Claire's uncertain of the rumors until her cousin takes a swim in it and sprouts a long horn. Can she solve the riddle of the changing waters and help him? An excellent fantasy adventure powered by strong characterization evolves.
