Key to Rondo-book Essay

Key to Rondo is an exiting fantasy novel for children and it’s a great Trilogy. This is the First book………………….

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda is a fantasy novel about the two main characters Leo and Mimi going on a quest to Mimi’s dog Mutt who is taken by the evil Blue Queen to her castle in Rondo (the magical world inside Leo’s music box). Leo and Mimi overcome many challenges on the way to the Blue Queen’s castle and this causes change within the main characters personality and qualities. Leo and Mimi become brave and courageous. Leo respects Mimi more than he did before they went on their epic quest into Rondo.

The novel starts with Leo Zifkak at a family gathering when his aunt, Bethany Langlander’s music box is passed onto him. He does not know at the time that the music box contains a magical world called Rondo. Mimi Langlander comes to stay at Leo’s house while her parents are in Greece. Leo is persuaded by Mimi to break the rules Aunt Bethany had shown Leo. They uncover the secret of the music box, when the Blue Queen comes out of the music box and grabs Mimi’s dog Mutt, then returns back into the music box to her castle in Rondo. Leo and Mimi go into the music box and meet lots of new people and animals that help them traverse the land of Rondo and make it to the Blue Queen’s castle to rescue Mimi’s dog. The complication is resolved by Mimi tricking the evil Blue Queen and saving Leo and Mutt.

The main characters in The Key to Rondo are; Leo, Mimi, Bertha, Freda, Conker, Hal, Tye and Spoiler. Leo is a sensible boy who is given the Langlander music box by Aunt Bethany because she knows that Leo will not break the rules of the music box. Mimi is a badly behaved and annoying girl who comes to stay with Leo, she also breaks the rules of the music box and encourages Leo to break them as well. Bertha is a jolly pig from Rondo who helps Leo and Mimi on their quest to retrieve Mutt. Freda is a dot-catching duck that can be quite stubborn but helps Leo and Mimi. Conker is a dot-catcher and also Freda’s best friend. Hal is a mysterious man from Rondo who is revealed to be Uncle Henry. Tye is the last Terlemaine and looks like a tiger. Spoiler is formerly known as Uncle George and works for the Blue Queen.

The characters in The Key to Rondo develop greatly throughout the novel. Leo and Mimi meeting many new people and animals develop their character into becoming more confident in their life and actions against the Blue Queen. Very dangerous beasts such as the troll help to develop courage and bravery through Leo and Mimi, also when Leo saves Rosebud from a wolf. When Leo and Mimi encounter the Blue Queen towards the end of the novel, Mimi uses her newly developed knowledge of the magic in Rondo.

Leo and Mimi grow and learn. Overtime they become wiser and gain a lot of knowledge of the history of Rondo and the Langlander family.