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Gwen has been looking forward to visiting her Irish cousin for some time. She and Findabhair share an interest in fantasy and plan to travel around Ireland, visiting ancient mystical sites. They soon discover, however, that they may get much more than they bargained for. While trespassing at night in Tara, the seat of the ancient kings of Ireland, Findabhair is kidnapped by the King of the Fairies. Gwen must embark on a journey throughout the Emerald Isle to rescue her cousin from the clutches of "the Good People." Over the course of her adventures, Gwen discovers that the veil between our world and that of the fairies is a thin one, the passage through which is filled with both temptation and hidden danger. Indeed, Findabhair does not appear to be an unwilling captive… This is a story with a strong heroine who comes into her own as she overcomes obstacles in a journey that is both internal and external. The Hunter's Moon is set in the here and now, with contemporary references that create a strong juxtaposition between the real world and the magical world of the fairies. AR
Who wouldn't want a unicorn for a playmate? The little girl in this story wishes so hard for a unicorn that one appears in her backyard. However, this is a unicorn with a difference: he's lost his horn, his tongue hangs out, and he wags his tail. The little girl and her friend go on adventures in a magical forest, fight a dragon and search for buried treasure. Then, tired from their day, they fall asleep. When the girl wakes up, the unicorn is gone, replaced by her dog. She's not upset though, because she knows that she can wish for another unicorn tomorrow. This imaginative tale, told in rhyme, is accompanied by playful water-colour illustrations. MF
Misha is eager to visit his favourite aunt, Dora, at what she calls her new "Gingerbread Cottage" in the old village of Belfountain. What he discovers, however, is that her cottage is not new but over 130 years old and is full of secrets and mystery. It doesn't take Misha long to realize that Aunt Dora has secrets herself, and so do the strange crows that seem to follow them constantly, almost as though they were spying on Misha and Aunt Dora, listening to their every word. Misha's encounter with a magical white sturgeon reveals the truth: Aunt Dora is the "Keeper" of an old box filled with great power and has one of only two keys able to unlock it. The other key has been stolen by the menacing crows that are determined to get their talons on Aunt Dora's key and to possess the powers in the ancient box. It's up to Misha to find and reclaim the stolen key from the crows, before it's too late. A tale of adventure and magic, The Keeper of the Crows blends elements of Greek mythology and ancient riddles in a contemporary Canadian setting. MM
Available in French under the title: La Bonne Aventure: un jeu d'enfant! (Markham, Ont.: Scholastic, 2001) Do you know what it means when your left hand gets itchy, when you dream about a white horse or when you count seven seeds in an apple core? The answers can all be found in The Kids Guide to Fortune Telling. Traditional methods of fortune telling such as palm reading and numerology are combined with more unusual activities such as tossing a piece of bread onto the water to answer simple Yes or No questions. Dozens of fortune-telling methods are thoughtfully illustrated and include easy-to-follow instructions. Most games can be played alone or with friends, using everyday household objects such as coins, paper and water. Others call for some degree of adult involvement or supervision, such as baking fortune cookies or using candles to read "invisible" messages. Whether it's counting daisy petals to predict the weather on your next birthday, skipping stones to find out the number of children you will have, or reading the shapes of clouds to find out what the future holds, you will find endless hours of activities in The Kids Guide to Fortune Telling. MM
Hoderi, a poor but honest peasant, lives on a small island in northern Japan. On his morning walk to work, while the tide is still low, he spies a tiny fish stuck in a shallow tidal pool. Being a kind and gentle man, Hoderi saves the baby sea bream's life by releasing it back into the sea. Little does he know that he has just saved the life of Princess Neriya of the underwater palace, who was in fish form. For this good deed, the Dragon King (the king of Neriya and the Princess's loving father) grants Hoderi one wish. Hoderi, being very modest, refuses the wish, explaining to the Dragon King that he is content with his actions and does not need a material gift. Finally, after much pressure, Hoderi chooses a milky-white shell from the palace wall. Hoderi has chosen the Magic Ear. The Magic Ear lets him understand the language of all earth's creatures. With the help of the Magic Ear, Hoderi performs another good deed, which leads to a life of happiness. SG
Robin Muller has drawn inspiration from an old Chinese folk tale and the sights of late Victorian England to create The Magic Paintbrush. Nib, a young orphan boy living on the streets of London, wants to be an artist. His dream comes true after he saves the life of an old man, a wizard, who rewards him with a wooden paint box. He explains to Nib that with the box he will "make pictures while you see with your eyes. But one day you will learn to see with your heart." The magic in the paints brings Nib's finished paintings to life. Not long after Nib makes this discovery, he is taken before the wicked, greedy king. Nib refuses to paint what the king craves and is thrown into a dungeon, only to escape by painting a tunnel. As a fugitive, he is condemned to wander the countryside painting unfinished pictures. He discovers that the king has created pain, ugliness and pollution throughout the land. BM
Ralphy and her brother, Marco, can't understand why Donatello, Marco's pet lizard, is so small. Marco has had Donatello for five months, but the lizard has not grown at all. His ancestors were big, why isn't he? Wishes made on a Christmas star are more likely to come true, so on Christmas Eve, Ralphy whispers "I wish Donatello could be a humungous, giant lizard." During the night, the trio creeps downstairs. Under the Christmas tree is a book entitled Merlin's Castle. When its cover is lifted, a paper castle arises from the pages. Donatello runs down Marco's arm and through the castle's door! Ralphy and Marco are magically transported into the castle too. The Wizard Merlin is there and because all three wished the same wish, he gives them a chant that will make Donatello grow. There's a catch though -- they must first locate where giant lizards live. Through books and the power of imagination, the children and their lizard are transported first to the time of dinosaurs, then to the time of dragons. They locate a cave and a dragon, repeat Merlin's chant, and a humungous Donatello slays the dragon. Donatello then must decide which is more important, being with his friends or being large. Wispy pictures in soft colours enhance this story about the power of friendship. EA
A Riddle of Roses tells a wondrous story of a young girl's quest to find the legendary land of Avalon, the Rose of the Eastern King, and her own destiny. Meryl, a feisty red-haired orphan, dreams of becoming a bard, a great musician and a teller of stories, just like her mother before her. Impatient and tired of listening to other peoples' rules, she leaves her stuffy, old-fashioned mabinog school to learn how to become a bard on her own. On her way, she meets the draoi Halstatt, a being moulded from branches, roots and dirt. They decide to team up and embark on the quest of a lifetime -- the quest to find the magical rose, missing for many years and rumoured to be kept in the land of Avalon. While travelling to Avalon, many exciting and dangerous things happen: they meet the fairy Leaflighter, Heini Heinlin, the court fool, the Fairy King of the Twlwyth Teg, two runaway scarecrow brothers, and most importantly, they meet the Fairie Queen of Avalon. SG
Available in French under the title: Les Nuits de Rose. (Saint-Lambert, Que.: Dominique et compagnie, 1998) This is the story of Rose Redbury and her fantastic spell. Rose Redbury drinks a magic rose-milk concoction every night before she goes to bed. It is a magic drink to make her go to sleep for ever and ever, with her head upon a pillow of feathers. But one night, she awakes suddenly with an urgent need to visit the bathroom. On her way to the bathroom, she meets a witch that smells like old socks, cabbage soup and fried liver who wants to eat her feet; a vampire who wants to bite her royal throat and a huge scary ogre who wants to eat her raw or cooked. To combat all these creatures, she shouts out her spell: "I am Rose, Rose Redbury! I am mighty, I am tall, and I'm not very scared of you at all!" She then turns them, one by one, into harmless little creatures. The story ends with Rose Redbury finally free to pee. After her adventure, she climbs back into bed to count sheep and falls right to sleep for ever and ever. SG
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