Dandelion Fire (100 Cupboards, #2) in Mock Newbery 2026

Jan 04, 2010 Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010-100-book-challenge, books-i-own, mundie-kids-book-reviews

Dandelion Fire picks up right where 100 Cupboards ended. Henry continues his journey into finding out who he is, but along the way meets some people who either want to claim him as his own or want to show him who he really is.

After a freak accident during a storm out by the barn with Henrietta, Henry is left blind and now he wears the mark of the Dandelion, who's fire burns through him. Henry returns to the cupboards he's forbidden to go in to, to find out what's happening to him and to find hi Dandelion Fire picks up right where 100 Cupboards ended. Henry continues his journey into finding out who he is, but along the way meets some people who either want to claim him as his own or want to show him who he really is.

After a freak accident during a storm out by the barn with Henrietta, Henry is left blind and now he wears the mark of the Dandelion, who's fire burns through him. Henry returns to the cupboards he's forbidden to go in to, to find out what's happening to him and to find his family he can't remember, but he has no idea that Henrietta secretly followed him in. I liked that while most of the story is about Henry and his journey, it's also about Henrietta and her journey in the cupboards as well. Secrets about their grandfather are brought to light, which put Henrietta in almost as much trouble as Henry is in. While both Henry and Henrietta are lost in the world of the cupboards, neither of knows their family has come looking for them.

An evil wizard has his eyes set on Henry and when Henry escapes him, his anger is unleashed and danger comes out of the cupboards, into Henry's home threatening his Uncle, Aunts and cousins. With Henry still gone and no sign of Henriette, and danger now coming out of the cupboards, Uncle Frank knows the only place to take his family is in the cupboards, back to his world.

As Henry continues his journey, he discovers what the Dandelion mark is, is able to over come his blindness, and learns he is the youngest and 7th son. As his journey starts to end, he finds it leads him right to the family he's been looking for, his lost cousin Henrietta, his Uncle Frank, Aunt and Cousins. Henry's family is no ordinary family and now Henry is forced to fight the evil witch and wizard, who are threatening them all. Together with his father by his side, they head off to fight the evil that is plaguing their world.

Dandelion Fire didn't pick up for me until the middle of the book, but once it did, I couldn't read the pages fast enough to find out what was happening. All of my questions I had from 100 Cupboards are answered and Henry finally knows who he is. I liked that N.D. Wilson wove together many of the characters that Henry meets along his way, but doesn't discover who they really are until he meets his family and father. I'm looking forward to The Chestnut King and getting to know more about Henry's family and his place with them.
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Jun 05, 2013 Benji Martin rated it it was amazing

I started this book about a year ago, and put it down. It wasn't the book, really. It was me. I had just finished The 100 Cupboards, and I wanted something a little more like The 100 Cupboards. The beginning felt like a fever dream, and I wasn't really sure what was going on.

I picked it back up last week, and gave it another read. I knew what was coming in the beginning this time, and I was expecting something totally different than the 1st book, so I was better prepared. I loved it. It might be ...more

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Jun 23, 2009 Kristen Jorgensen rated it liked it

Shelves: mock-newbery-book-2010

I liked this one a bit more than 100 Cupboards. It was an adventure and sometimes confusing, but it was a pretty good story.

My favorite part was the impromptu poem by Fat Frank:

"There once was a man named Tiggle,
Whose wife always walked with a wiggle.
And whenever she wiggled,
Mr. Tiggle, he giggled,
and those giggles all turned into Tiggles." ...more

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Sep 24, 2009 Jess rated it liked it

Shelves: juv, fantasy

This sequel to 100 Cupboards will be best enjoyed by fans of the first book. While Wilson reminds us of some of the action of the first story, the whole premise would be a little mystifying if you hadn't already followed Henry on his explorations of the mysterious cupboards he found in his bedroom. A bit more backstory is introduced here, and we spend more time through the cupboards and less time in present day Kansas. While many of the ideas were just as fantastic as the first time around, I wa ...more

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May 30, 2012 Lorelie rated it liked it

Love the idea of these books but sometimes get caught up in Henrys dream sequences a bit much. Lose interest in the storyline.

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Apr 13, 2009 Janet rated it it was ok

This sequel was very different from the first book. Poor Henry is a mortal danger and it is a frightening story. I didn't find myself drawn to Henry in the same way I was in 100 Cupboards. Sometimes the middle book in a trilogy is difficult to both write and read. ...more

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