Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door

Fagan, Cary. Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door. 2023. 160p. ISBN 9781774880159.

Andie (with an e, thank you very much) very much feels like an outcast in her own skin. Her parents are weird, and ever since they moved to the countryside, they've been in search of a project to do. Now they're raising crickets to sell to pet stores (crickets make great lizard food). The school bully, Myrtle Klinghoffer, loves to pick on her but always does it in a way that makes Andie feel like she's not even there, since Myrtle never addresses herself directly to her. And the other kids don't really talk to her.

When a new neighbor moves next door, Andie swears she recognizes him. She has seen the man's picture on a book somewhere in her collection. Ah, yes, her uncle gave her a book of fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen, and the picture looks very much like her neighbor, aside from being black and white and the old-fashioned clothes. When the initials H.C.A. go on the mailbox next door, Andie is convinced that Andersen just moved in.

Andie begin writing her own poems based on the classic fairy tales her neighbor wrote, and she soon finds herself sharing them with him. HCA patiently listens to her, and find that the poems are actually quite good. When he tells Andie he works at the ministry of agriculture, Andie reasons that he must want to stay incognito.

New kid Newton moves to the school, and Andie finds him fascinating. And he's willing to sit with Andie and listen to her poetry. Soon the two of them become fast friends. At the same time, however, Myrtle continues her bullying, and Andie decides to take revenge. Plus, there's the big secret of Hans Christian Andersen living next door ...

Based on the flawed assumption that Hans Christian Andersen, who died in 1875, moved in next door, Andie compounds her beliefs until everything comes crashing down around her, and she is forced to admit that their neighbor is not Hans Christian Andersen. But along the way, she learns a lot about friendship, about herself, and about the fact that her little town is not as boring and dull as she thought it was.

Dust

 Swanson, Kara. Dust. 2020. Book 1 of the Heirs of Neverland series. 348p. ISBN 9781621841265.

Claire Kenton doesn't remember much as a child, aside from always being with her twin brother Conner. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, the pair could never find stability, mainly due to Claire's uncontrolled shedding of sparkling dust that could turn deadly when shed in anger. After accidentally burning a foster mother when she was 5, the twins have made their way through home after home, learning that the only thing they have is each other. Connor has always loved books and movies about Peter Pan, and used to tell Claire that they were from Neverland. He once successfully convinced Claire to jump out of a second story window and try to fly with her dust, but the result was a disfigured Claire, a broken dumpster, and a scarred body.

Connor went missing four years ago, Claire has spent her time and resources trying to track him down. She met the enigmatic N online, and after years of efforts he tells her he finally found some security footage from Los Angeles International Airport that shows Connor willingly following a stranger on board a plane to London.

Desperate to be reunited, Claire sells all of her meager possessions and heads to London, where she discovers that Neverland is not just a book, but a real place, and that Connor was brought to London by Captain Hook himself. Mad at Peter Pan for stealing her brother, Claire vows to destroy him if she gets the chance. 

Peter Pan has been exiled from Neverland and is unable to return. Tinkerbell is dead, the pixies are in disarray, and Hook and his band of pirates have joined forces with Lost Boys who are slowly aging to try to catch him. Peter has been looking for Claire for years, but has not been able to find her, so when he stumbles upon her by his statue in London, he is surprised and thrilled. When she reveals her hatred for him, however, he pretends to be a Lost Boy named Ben, and begins to explains to her the challenges that a wilting Neverland inflicts on its former residents.

But the boy who never wanted to grow up will need to be very convincing to get Claire to follow him back to Neverland to look for her brother Connor, for her distrust runs deep, and Peter Pan is not known for his honesty. Plus, he might be falling in love with Claire, which won't do. With Hook working his own angle, and the mysterious N still in the picture, Claire is about to enter into a fantastic tale despite her best efforts.

Fans of fiction and of Neverland will appreciate this twist on an old tale. For a different take, read Everland.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

 Maas, Sarah H. A Court of Thorns and Roses. Book 1 of the Court of Thorns and Roses series. 2015. 419p. ISBN 9781619634442. Available at FIC MAA on the library shelves.

The island of Prythian is divided into two by an invisible wall of magic. On one side, the humans that freed themselves from servitude after a long and bloody war with their powerful overlord, the fae. They now dwell on the other side of the wall in seven courts, biding their time. Other continents of fae and humans exist, but the two races only meet in Prythian.

Feyre's father was a wealthy merchant until his ships sank, taking his fortune with them. Now he, Feyre and her two sisters live in a shack in the forest near the wall, and they survive thanks for Feyre's hunting in the dangerous forest. For though the wall exist to prevent fae from crossing, it is weakening. When Feyre comes across a massive wolf hunting a doe, she suspects it's a fae in disguise, but its pelt being worth a lot, she slays the beast that seemed to pose no threat to her.

The next night, Feyre and her family are visited by Tamlin, a high fae who is also the lord of the Spring Court. He is here to exact his revenge for the loss of the wolf, who was one of his guard. As punishment, Feyre will have to cross the wall and live in the land of the fae for the rest of her life. Now a captive of the Spring Court, Feyre slowly discovers that the Spring Court, and indeed all of Prythian, has been affected by a curse for the last fifty years, and magic is but a shadow of its former self. With an empty palace but under the watchful eye of Lucien, Tamlin's second in command, Feyre is free to wander the grounds.

Dangers abound in the land of the fae, however, and more than once Feyre is confronted by nightmares she's only heard about in stories. Nagas, Surreals, these monsters are real and prowl the woods of the Spring Court. The closer she grows to Tamlin, the more danger she finds herself in, until she discovers that the curse that plagues Prythian may very well cost Feyre her own life.

A mix of Beauty and the Beast and high fantasy, this story will enthrall readers who enjoy fantasy and they will appreciate the struggles Feyre confronts as she attempts to survive in a new world.

A Christmas Carol

Larkin, Alison. A Christmas Carol. 2019. ISBN 9781982785246. Available at FIC LAR on the library shelves.

All of us are familiar with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We remember Scrooge, and him being visited by three ghosts Christmas eve. We know how stingy and miserly he was. We know of Tiny Tim and his crutches. Most of all, we know it is a redemption story, meant to give Scrooge one more chance at experiencing a humanity he had left behind.

But what if uncle Scrooge was not a man, but aunt Scrooge, a woman? Would the story be any different? Using A Christmas Carol, the author reconstruct the story and tells it the same way Dickens did, but this time using a female protagonist. In our society today, having a woman run a corporation, own property in her own name, and fall in love with another woman does not seem out of place. The fact that the story flows without any issues demonstrates that the limitations society has historically placed on gender are simply irrelevant, and that our world would have been a much better place had women been included in all ranks of society much earlier.

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

Yee, F.C. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. 2017. 310p. ISBN 978-1-68335-122-1. Available as an ebook on Overdrive.

Eugenie Lo is taller than most at her school, and at sixteen is driven to get into a top college to please her relentless mother. With divorced parents, Genie cannot wait to escape stifling parental surveillance and spread her own wings. Her school year is filled with studying, tests, and the dreadful college essay that she must write to set herself apart from all of the other Asian students competing with her for the same few spots in top colleges.

Her entire life is suddenly changed, however, when, on her way to school, she comes across a boy being beaten up in an alley. She distracts the bullies, but leaves her backpack and all of her books behind. At school, she is surprised to meet that very same boy, Quentin, in most of her classes. A transfer student from China, Quentin quickly proclaims that Genie belongs to him.  That immediately sets her off, and she violently punches Quentin. He keeps on following her, however, turning up in the strangest places.

What she thought was obnoxious and annoying suddenly turns deadly when Quentin reveals that he is in fact Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, who has come to San Francisco to chase a group of demons who have escaped from prison. The Monkey King reveals that Genie is in fact his ancient weapon, who has become self actualized. Genie is pissed, but as more and more demons attack her and the Monkey King and threaten her friends, she is forced to deal with a side of her Chinese heritage she didn't know existed. Can Genie manage to balance her life to both save the Bay Area from a demon invasion while remaining on track to get into the college of her choice?

A great and entertaining read, The Epic Crush of Genie Lo feature unforgettable characters and an interesting setting. Those interested in learning more about the Monkey King should first read American Born Chinese, where the story of Su Wukong is presented, or Monkey, the original Chinese tale translated in English.

Beast

Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. 2004. 272p. 381 mins. ISBN 9780689870057. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

As the future Shah of Persia, Orasmyn has been training his entire life. He as completed the pilgrimage to Mecca, and he is dedicated to the teaching of Islam. A gentle soul, Orasmyn does not reproach his father, the Shah, the ability to hunt, but he prefers plants, especially roses. His father is thrilled because he has received a lion and lionesses from India, and he looks forward to the possibility of slaying a lion with his bare hands.

On the Feast of Sacrifices, Orasmyn makes the call to sacrifice a camel that is not pure. As a result, a vindictive Peri sentences him to die at the hands of his father the very next day, unless he can find a woman who will truly love him. Scared that he might perish in the lion hunt, Orasmyn tells his father and decides to hide for the entire day, hoping to avoid the Peri’s curse. Unfortunately, when Orasmyn awakens he has been transformed into a lion.

Still retaining his human mind, Orasmyn manages to avoid the hunters but realizes that he has in fact been killed by his father, for even if he escapes now he can never return, and his father has lost his son and heir. Learning to be a lion is difficult, and Orasmyn makes his way slowly to India, hoping to find a woman who will love him, or, at any rate, the company of other lions. But the prides do not welcome him, and he is forced to return to Persia. Along the way he remembers a conversation with a Frenchman that the roses in France are the best in the world, so he decides to make his way to France.

The trip is perilous, and it takes him years to make it to the South of France, but when he discovers an old uninhabited castle he knows it will be home forever. He plants roses, hoping to attract a woman who will love him. But when a man seeks shelter in the castle, Orasmyn discovers that he can prey on the man’s fear and force him to send his youngest daughter to him instead. Perhaps she will be the one who will love him and break the curse.

Telling the other side of the beauty and the beast story, Beast describes Orasmyn’s transition from man to beast, the depth of his despair, and the strength of his desire to regain his humanity while surviving as a lion in a foreign country with a different language and customs.

Umberland

Spinale, Wendy. Umberland. Book 2 of the Everland series. 2017. 275p. ISBN 978-0-545-95318-4. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

In Everland, Gwen and her siblings escaped the heart of London and the Bloody German Queen’s Marauders with Pete and the Lost Boys and found safe haven at Alnwick Castle, where the Queen of England still rules. Unfortunately, the Queen is dying, and the Horologia virus that affects the remaining children is mutating following Doc’s intervention to create a vaccine. Duchess Alyssa is ready to take over the leadership, but Kat opposes this move and plans a revolution of her own. With time running out, Doc can think of only one possibility to stop the virus. Someone must travel to the Black Forest to retrieve a poisonous apple believed to be extinct. Protected by a deadly maze and located deep within enemy territory, the hopes of even finding this apple are slim to none.

Alyssa travels to the Queen’s garden, where she meets Maddox Hadder, a transfuge from Germany. Maddox agrees to help her, and the two of them travel to Germany and enter the maze. Hook, meanwhile, has returned to meet with his mother the Bloody Queen, and she tasks him and his half brother to enter the same labyrinth and find the apple so that Germany can possess an antidote to the virus. Gwen and Peter, meanwhile, face an assault by Kat and her forces. As the three pairs travel their separate ways, the virus spreads even further and a life-threatening situation turns deadly as obstacles litter their journey. Are they willing to pay the cost?

Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares

Copling, Steve. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares. Book 1 of the Sage Alexander series. 2017. 416p. ISBN 9781612549422. Available at FIC COP on the library shelves.

Sage has heard all his life from Leah, the fairy that guards him, that he is the boy of prophecy, who will save humanity from the perils of the seven Princes of Hell, also known as the seven deadly sins of envy, greed, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth, and wrath. Unfortunately for him, no one else in the world sees Leah. Growing up was thus very hard, with Sage constantly talking with someone his mother, father, and brother Nick could not see. Thinking him delusional, Sage had to undergo treatments and eventually had to deny that Leah even existed. Despite her best efforts to train him, Leah has thus far failed to adequately prepare the boy for the role he is called to play.

Sage knows he is not alone in the world. There are others like him, members of the Council, who seek to vanquish the Princes. But he has never met any of them. Most descendants of angels and humans relationships possess one Trait, a power they can use to defeat the dark hordes. A few are blessed with two Traits, while only one or two individuals throughout history have had three Traits. Sage will eventually have all of them. Right now he has Pathfinder, the ability to track and see Where the Dark ones have travelled, and Fighting Arts, which make him a deadly sword fighter. However, Sage has not taken his training seriously, and has been slacking the last few years.

His father has been working on a large business deal and has been absent for most of the year, creating marital strains and harming his relationship with his kids. All he can talk about is this deal, that will set up his family financially. When he returns from one such trip, Sage is startled to see his face turning golden, and small wings sprouting from his back. Suddenly Sage realizes that he has just acquired Clarity, the ability to see clearly the Dark Ones and their influences. His father clearly is under the sway of Mammon, Prince of Greed. All of the tales that Leah have told him are true, and now Sage is unprepared to protect his family. When people around him are revealed to also work for the Council, Sage is assuaged that he is not going crazy, but none of them are willing to help him save his father. Alone, except for his guardian fairy, Sage decides to embark on a quest to find the thirty-two Council members who have disappeared in the last thousand years. Saving them from the Dark Ones would provide him with an army to assist him. Yet the road is fraught with dangers, and ultimately Sage will be the one who must confront Mammon in a battle only one will survive...

The Dream

McLay, R.K. The Dream. Book 1 of the Rahtrum Chronicles series. 2016. 328p. ISBN 978-1-927083-37-6. Available at FIC MCL on the library shelves.

For thousands of years, Nature has been in balance and Rahtrum, the Great Binder, has ensured that the world functions properly. But the rise of the Cargoth, two-legged animals who lack fur except on their heads and who have developed large objects and created gashes in the land has threatened this balance. The environment is deteriorating, and the speed of change is increasing.

Up past the Arctic Circle, caribou are spending the winter months in their grazing range south of the Beaufort Sea. Boo and his mother, Taiga, are part of a large herd. A yearling, Boo is spending his first winter away from the Sea, but he looks forward to returning to the calving grounds, a migration the herd makes every year. For a caribou, Boo is very inquisitive, and his mother knows that he is different from the other in the herd, and even from herself.

When Rahtrum appears to Boo and his mother, it is to entrust the young caribou with a mission. He must find a small flower that blooms but one day in a secret location unknown to all. By consuming this flower, Boo can become Rahtrum’s champion and rights the balance, making the Cargoth understand the value of the environment around them.

Unfortunately for Boo, however, a dark and violent enemy is also bent on acquiring the flower for his own purposes. Watched by spies but protected by an unlikely alliance of gnomes, fairies, eagles and wolves, Boo and his mother travel through the immense Yukon wilderness, seeking answers to Rahtrum’s quest. Upon his success depends the fate of all animals and of Nature itself.

13 Treasures

Harrison, Michelle. 13 Treasures. 2010. 355p. 478 mins. ISBN 0-316-04148-3. Available both at FIC HAR on the shelves of the library and as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Tanya is blessed (or cursed, depending on how she feels) with the second sight, the ability to see beings from the fairy world that have crossed over to the human world and dwell among us. Ever since she could speak, she’s been trying to tell the world about the fairies that surround her, to no avail. No one believes her, and the fairies always exact their revenge by playing mean tricks on her.

Now a teen, Tanya is getting into more trouble at home as fairies discover yet one more diary she has been keeping. When her mother finds her bedroom wrecked, and with Tanya once again unable to explain what happened, she decides it’s time for Tanya to live with Florence, her grandmother for a while. Elvesden Manor is a large country house on the edge of Hangman’s Wood, in the middle of nowhere. The woods are filled with deep holes, referred to as catacombs, and many a person have fallen to their death. Tanya remembers the woods and the manor being filled with fairies, and she shudders at the thought of going back. Aside from Florence, the manor has three other human residents: Fabian, a boy her age; Warwick, Fabian’s father and the groundskeeper, and Amos, Fabian’s crazy grandfather.

The fairies at Elvesden Manor are not happy to see Tanya again, but on her first day she discovers a book about fairies in the house’s library, and an old newspaper clipping that talks about the disappearance of Morwenna Bloom over fifty years ago. Warned not to wander in the woods, Tanya and Fabian nonetheless enter them when they pursue Oberon, Tanya’s dog. Afraid that Warwick, who is out hunting in the woods, will shoot the dog, they try to follow it but become hopelessly lost. When they are found by a girl about their age wearing a green outfit, Tanya realize that Morwenna is stuck in the fairy world and needs help escaping.

But as the fairies continue their campaign against her, Tanya will need allies. Whom can she trust with her secret of second sight?

Betwixters: Once Upon a Time

Cantu, Laura C. Betwixters: Once Upon a Time. Book 1 of the Betwixters series. 278p. ISBN 978-0-9885-8519-5. Available at FIC CAN on the library shelves.

Noah’s move to England from the United States was not without difficulty, but he has adapted fairly well to his new environment. In English middle school, he made quick friends with always full of himself Ethan and best dancer and quick-witted Skye but is often the target of bully Gunther and his cronies. Noah’s father worked for the NSA, and is now involved in a secret project, which forced the family to move. Noah’s mother, who is Chinese, is very supportive of Noah and his aspirations.

Their town abuts the Dark Wood, a forest reputed to be haunted and the scene of a grizzly murder eight years ago. Noah’s father has made him promise never to enter the forest, but when Noah, Ethan and Skye are chased by Gunther and his crew, the only way to escape is to leave the school through the forest. As they go deeper, the environment changes and they can feel it become oppressive. They run in the man who owns the forest, whom they nickname Scaretaker and who warns them away from the dangers that lurk nearby. Skye, meanwhile, discovers the most amazing creature: Neevya the faerie, who comes from another realm and has unwillingly stepped through a portal to the human world. Stuck in an iron trap, Neevya has been infected by iron poisoning and must find the way back home soon, or she will die.

In a race against time and with enemies occupying the forest, Noah, Ethan, and Skye will need to outwit their parents, their bully, and the Scaretaker to deliver Neevya back to her home and save her life. Can they find the portal before it is too late?

Flunked

Calonita, Jen. Flunked. 2015. 244p. ISBN 978-1-49260157-9 . Book 1 of the Fairy Tale Reform School series. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Following the disastrous allegations that followed Cinderella’s ball and the incident of the glass slipper, Flora, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, realized the error of her ways and, to atone for her violent tendencies and evilness, she created the Fairy Tale Reform School where every character that needs to be reformed can be safely taught together so they can change their ways. With princesses in charge and with the 7 dwarves and their minions enforcing their will, Enchantasia has never been this peaceful.

Unfortunately, not everything is as it should be. Two major villains managed to escape the dwarves and now lurk in the dark edges of Enchantasia. Worse, peace has not improved the prosperity of the people. Gilly’s father is the craftsman who created the glass slippers, but ever since their popularity went through the roof they have been made magically, putting him near bankruptcy. With no prospects of money and a belly always empty, Gilly has been stealing from the Royals in the marketplace to make sure there’s always something to eat. But when she gets caught a third time, Gilly is sentenced to the Fairy Tale Reform School.

Staffed with former villains, such as the Bad Wolf and Snow White’s Evil Queen, the school at first seems daunting. As Gilly makes friends, however, she quickly realizes that things are not at all as they appear, and that it may be impossible for some villains to truly be reformed. With her friends, Gilly will try to stop an attempt on the princesses’ lives, but can she save Enchantasia without losing herself?

Everland

Spinale, Wendy. Everland. Book 1 of the Everland series. 2016. 312p. 535 mins. ISBN 9780545836944. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In a bid for world domination, Katherine, Queen of Germany, ordered the destruction of London and the conquest of England. Unfortunately, the raid that destroyed the city also unleashed a deadly virus that is killing everyone in its path. The first victims of the Horologia virus were the adults, who quickly succumbed. This wiped out England’s defenders, but then the virus began affecting German troops as well, and now, a year later, only children are left living in the ruins of London, as well as a relatively small group of German soldiers. And all of them are affected. The Horologia virus affects girls faster than boys, but in the end all of them die a horrible death.

For the last year, sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling has survived with her two younger siblings, sister Joanna and and six-year-old brother Michael on the outskirts of London, now known as Everland. They have scavenged and sheltered from the Marauders, as the German soldiers are known, as their steam-powered machines have patrolled the remnants of the city looking for kids. Led by the vicious Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, otherwise known as Hook, and his second in command Smee, the Marauders seek children as they believe they hold the cure to the Horologia virus.

Hook has not received any news from Germany since the day he led the assault against London. And England’s allies never counterattacked. Hook, who happens to be the son of the German Queen, believes that the Horologia virus has spread beyond England and has infected the world. A cure for the disease would be priceless and would provide him the power of life or death over everyone. Working with a captured English scientist, Hook is feverishly looking for the one child rumored to be immune to the disease.

Having encountered no other survivors for the last year, Gwen is surprised one night during a scavenge run to discover that there are other children out there. Peter and his friend Bella tell her of a city of Lost Boys, where children have taken refuge. Meanwhile, Joanna is captured by the Marauders. Gwen decides to mount a rescue mission, but Peter convinces her to come with them to the city first, as Gwen shows no sign of having contracted the Horologia virus, unlike Joanne, Michael, Peter, or Bella.

As Gwen tries to rescue Bella while Hook attempts to get his hands on a cure for the Horologia virus, both of them may not have enough time to fulfill their goal. A retelling of Peter Pan, fans of Steampunk and dystopia will appreciate the gritty aspects of Everland and the ever climbing price Gwen will have to pay to save her sister, and all of the Lost Boys.

Geekerella

Poston, Ashley. Geekerella. 2017. 320p. ISBN 978-1-59474-947-6. Available at FIC POS on the library shelves.

In this modern-day retelling of Cinderella,Elle, whom only her stepmother call Danielle, lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her two wicked twin step-sisters, wicked Chloe and quiet Calliope. Her mother died when she was four, and she has only the vaguest memories. Robin Wittimer, her father, on the other hand, died a few years ago after remarrying with Catherine and her own two daughters, and now Elle is stuck in a house she technically own but with a guardian who doesn’t really care or love her.

Her parents were huge Starfield fans, and her father even founded ExcelsiCon in Atlanta. Following his death, however, Catherine has banished mentions of this hobby beneath the dignity of her ambitions. Elle is left with a blog where she discusses all things Starfield, and the hope of one day turning 18 and escaping her stepmother’s clutches. The twins, who are the same age, are just as bad at emotionally torturing Elle, always picking on her. Having set her up with one of the boys at the country club last year, Elle has sworn off any relationship. Working in a food truck painting like a pumpkin selling vegan fare, Elle is shocked that the remake of the new Starfield movie will feature Darien Freeman in the title role of Prince Carmindor. A teen heartthrob and star of the soap Seaside Cove, Darien is gorgeous but is nothing but a vapid star and Elle writes a devastating review of the announcement of the film cast on her blog.

Darien, meanwhile, is under the tight control of his manager father and is afraid he will not measure to the previous actor who occupied the role of the Prince. He has read Elle’s devastating review and knows it will be hard to convince the die-hard fans he is one of them. Informed by his handler that he will be participating on a panel at ExcelsiCon, Darien attempts to contact the organizers to cancel his appearance. He really hates conventions, especially after the major fight he had with Brian, whom he thought was his best friend but whom was in it only for the money. Looking on the con’s website, all he can find is a phone number for the founder.

When he texts it requesting to be removed from the panel, Elle is the one who receives the message. She inherited the phone when her father died. At first she doesn’t want to talk to the stranger, but soon she realizes they have a connection. They are both Starfield fans, and they both wish they were somewhere else. Since they are both virtual strangers, they open up in ways they never would have had they met. With the filming of the movie moving along and with the con getting closer every day, will Darien and Elle be able to connect and ignite their relationship before they discover they loathe each other’s public persona?

The Unicorn in the Barn

Ogburn, Jacqueline. The Unicorn in the Barn. 2017. 304p. ISBN 978-0-544-76112-4. Available at FIC OGB on the library shelves.

The Harper family has struggled financially since Eric’s grandmother fell ill. They had to sell her farm to a veterinarian, Dr. Brancusi, and her daughter, Allegra while grandmother moved in with Eric, his father and his brother Steve. Then grandmother became ill enough that she had to move to a nursing home for specialized care. Eric and his family visit her every weekend. Dr. Brancusi, meanwhile, has transformed the farmhouse into an animal hospital.

Eric meets Allegra when she begins posting “no trespassing signs” around their new property. When Eric points out that Allegra is herself trespassing by his treehouse and not putting signs up in the right place, she gets mad at him. Eric spends some time in his treehouse, but he falls asleep. When he awakens, it is dark. He climbs down and heads home, but then he spots a white deer in the woods, whiter than snow. Curious, he follows it around and realizes that it’s a unicorn, and she’s heading straight for the neighbors’ barn. Dr. Brancusi is caring for the unicorn, who suffers from an infected hoof. Pregnant with twins, Dr B. and Allegra are caring for it.

Despite Allegra’s misgiving, Dr. B. agrees to let Eric help with the caring for Moonpearl. Eric realizes that the animal hospital cares not only for regular animals, but for magical animals as well, such as a Cheshire cat, a goose which hatches golden eggs, and even a squonk. The unicorn possesses the ability to heal, but every time it does so it loses some vitality. With his grandmother dying, Eric is confronted with a tough choice. Should he try to save his grandmother even if it may cost the unicorn her soon-to-be born babies? Faced with this tough decision based on a secret, Eric cannot turn to anyone for help, except for Allegra. The two of them don’t get along, but maybe it’s time to end this conflict.

The Unicorn in the Barn is a well-crafted tale of caring, of love and of death. It’s not about the magic, it’s about what we do to help each other.

Fish Girl

Wiesner, David and Donna Jo Napoli. Fish Girl. 2017. 186p. ISBN 9780544815124. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Fish Girl has gills and a tail instead of legs. Fish Girl can’t talk, but can breathe air. Fish Girl lives in an aquarium by the sea on the boardwalk. Though she has an underwater room with all the furnitures of a regular teenage girl, she can’t leave the building. Working with Neptune, the God of the Sea, her role is to swim around and offer tantalizing hints that she exists to the paying customers, without ever being seen. At the end of each day, she collects the coins tourists have dropped in the water and brings them to Neptune, who tells her a story from the time when mermaids lived in the sea and Neptune himself was powerful.

A chance encounter with a girl the same age as Fish Girl changes all of that. Fish Girl is not supposed to be seen, but she was, and the girl is convinced she saw a mermaid. When she returns the next day, the girls begin playing games, and even make contact on the third floor. Neptune’s return interrupts the moment, but the girl covers for Fish Girl and Neptune is none the wiser. Fish Girl begins to notice details that had escaped her. Neptune is not the powerful God he claims to be, but rather a fisherman who found her in the ocean and brought her back here. He tricks the tourists through machinery.

Fish Girl longs for freedom, but doesn’t know how to leave. Livia, her friend, continues to visit, and every time opens up a little more a window to the world Fish Girl did not know existed. Named Mira by Livia, she exists the aquarium one night and discovers to her surprise that her tail transforms into legs. Soon, she is exploring the entire house and even the boardwalk beyond. But Neptune is not as dupe as he appears, and he closely monitors Fish Girl. When he catches Livia and Mira together, Neptune knows that Livia will tell the authorities, and he schemes to hide Mira forever. Mira has other plans, however, and with the help of her trusted friend Octopus, she will attempt to find her voice before the storming sea reclaims the aquarium.

Beautifully illustrated by three time Caldecott illustrator David Wiesner, Donna Jo Napoli’s story is based in the folklore of the mermaid and demonstrates that sheer will can overcome most obstacles, but that a friend can help take the first step.

The Book of Story Beginnings

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Book of Story Beginnings. 2006. 360p. ISBN 978-978-0-329-65754-3. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Lucy Martin and her family are moving from New York City to a rustic farmhouse in Iowa. Owned by her father’s great aunt before her death, the house is in the middle of nowhere with a view of the interstate in the distance. Lucy’s father has lost his job, while her mother works hard as an home-based editor, so moving means not paying rent and a chance for new beginnings. For Lucy, however, it means leaving her friends and the only life she’s known behind. Plus, the house is the scene of Oscar’s disappearance.

Back in 1914, Oscar, Lucy’s great-great uncle disappeared. His sister, who owned the house before she died, swore to her dying breath that she saw Oscar row out to sea in a boat. But how can this be? Iowa is nowhere near an ocean. She spent the rest of her life focused on magic, trying to bring Oscar back. Lucy is intrigued by this mystery, until she discovers that their new housecat Walter is actually Oscar, who has just returned from an island ruled by a Queen who loves birds and a King who loves cats. Oscar discovered the Book of Story Beginnings, where the start of stories can be composed. If the book likes the story, it happens. If it doesn’t, then the story erase itself.

In the process of playing with alchemy, her father transforms himself into a raven which escapes through the window, and a drop from the magical potion hits the cat and transforms it back into Oscar. Now both Lucy and Oscar must work together to find an appropriate story beginning to help them find her father while at the same time resolving all of the other issues Oscar’s careless story beginnings have started.

This is a great story for middle school students and readers who enjoy magic and fairy tales. The characters are realistic and the action is constant. The land of Cat-n-Berd is intriguing and will fascinate. Based on the concept of what happens to characters in your favorite book when the story end, this story itself will enchant and lead the reader to wonder, what are my favorite characters up to today?

The Legend of the Old Man of the Mountain

Ortakales, Denise. The Legend of the Old Man of the Mountain. 2004. 40p. ISBN 978-1-58536-236-3. Available at 398.2 ORT on the library shelves.

One of New Hampshire’s most well-known feature before its collapse in 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain overlooked the Pemigewasset River. First seen by Europeans in 1805, the Old Man became a state symbol and has appeared on stamps, license plates, and road signs. But how did the Great Stone Face come about?

In a time before European arrival, people lived in what is now New Hampshire. One of the most renowned was Chief Pemigewasset, a fearless leader who defended his tribe against Mohawk encroachment from the west. During a battle both side fought, Pemigewasset met beautiful Minerwa, daughter of the Mohawk chief. Soon, the two sides were at peace and Pemigewasset and Minerwa live happily together.

One day, however, Minerwa’s brother came to her village and informed her that their father was dying and wished to see her one more time. Due to war injuries sustained in earlier conflicts, Pemigewasset could not trek on such a long trip, and he was sad that they would be separated. However, he understood that she needed to go, but he told her that he would wait for her at the Harvest Moon. He sent four warriors with her to make sure she would be safe.

Summer passed, and harvest came. Pemigewasset went back to the cliff where Minerwa had left, and waited patiently for her. But day after day, she did not return. The days got colder, and snow began to fall. Still Minerwa did not return. The Chief’s warriors told him they needed to return to the village, but Pemigewasset asked them instead to build him a hut, stack it with food and firewood, so he could remain here on the cliff and await his beloved’s return.

When members of his tribe came back in the spring, Pemigewasset had died. They buried him atop the cliff, so he could always look to the west for Minerwa’s return. As they departed, they saw the cliff’s face had been transformed by the Great Spirit and now the chief’s profile kept watch over the west. Thus the Old Man of the Mountain was born.