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Although primarily an anthology, Glodwyn's Treasure Chest also serves as a platform for the authors to promote their works, and as such is divided into two parts. The first part of the book contains twelve short stories, while the second half contains biographies of each author, along with excerpts and/or synopses from their other books. Initially, I thought that this set-up was a little odd, as I was expecting a collection of short stories and nothing else. However, by the time I finished the book, I appreciated the inclusion of the second half, as many of the featured books seemed promising. I intend to share this book with my 10-year-old son, and I am certain that he will find several of the titles interesting.
Overall, the writing and editing throughout this book are excellent. I did find a few sentences that were missing commas, but these were far and few between and did not bother me. There were also some spelling variations due to slight differences in British and American English, but the publisher had the foresight to explain these differences at the beginning of the book.
The stories themselves were charming, and contained any array of colorful characters, including an ugly princess that causes mirrors to flee in terror, a lost puppy who is helped by friendly fairies, and two best friends who share a special form of communication. Most of the stories are what one might classify as fairytales, although a few were firmly rooted in reality. I personally enjoyed reading all but one of them, but this is due to my personal tastes and does not reflect in any manner upon that particular writer.
My only criticism of this book is the cover art. I do not like the cover art because I feel that it isn't age-appropriate for the stories within this anthology. In my opinion, the artwork does not accurately reflect the content of the stories, and is more suited for a book intended for toddlers, not elementary-level readers.
But on the whole, I found Glodwyn's Treasure Chest to be a delightful collection of stories, and I am giving it 4 out of 4 stars. Avid readers will enjoy the diversity of the stories, and the opportunity to learn more about the authors, while more reluctant readers will appreciate the fast pace and overall brevity of each tale. Teachers might also use this book as a resource for obtaining new reading materials for students, as many of the authors' biographies contain links to their specific works.
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