Beware Beware by Susan Hill illustrated by Angela Barrett

Kitchen's warm.

Smells of spice.

Kettle sings.

Fire bright.

But what's out there?

Beware, beware.

The little girl keeps looking out the window. While her mother is distracted over the cooking pot, she slips outside. 

In long shadows lies the wood.

I knew I could!

I'm here, out there.

Beware, beware!

I will take care.

It is cold and the sound of every footstep echoes against the bare branches of the trees. Who is there? Turn the half page.

Trolls Goblins

Elves Sprites

Mysterious lights

Fingers beckon

Eyes stare

Wolf 

Bear

Dragon's lair

Beware! Beware!

The tension builds and builds until we see the mother come outside to look for her daughter. She finds her thank goodness and brings her back into the safety and warmth of their home but ... The ending is open - it seems this little girl will one day once again venture outside.

If you share this book with a group of older students there is a whole lesson hiding here about the use of repetition and more importantly the use of exclamation marks.

Look at these lines and think about how they might impact the way you read this book aloud.

Beware, beware.

Beware, beware!

Beware! Beware!

Beware! Beware!

Book seller blurb: An atmospheric prose-poem, shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, about a child wandering out into the dark. A little girl looks out at the cold snowy night, while her mother is busy at the kitchen stove. "What's out there?" she wonders. "Don't go!" a voice inside her warns. But curiosity prevails over fear, and she steps out into the snow towards the dark wood. Who knows what scary things await her there? 

It seems impossible to read every book in a school library but my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything actually does this! AND she has an encyclopedic knowledge of the books in her library and also their creators - authors and illustrators. This week, as she packed up her Halloween book display, she passed me Beware, Beware. I will confess I did have this book in my previous school library and while I might have flipped it open at some stage I had not sat down and read this wonderful book until this morning.

Very young children aged 5 and 6 often used to ask me for scary stories. I would give them a Dark, Dark Tale or The Flat Man but given this same opportunity now I would also give them Beware, Beware. Another book illustrated by Angela Barrett - The Hidden House - is one of my most favourite picture books. Angela Barrett has been shortlisted three times for the Kurt Maschler Award and has won the 1989 Smarties Book Prize 6-8 Category for "Can It Be True?", and the 1991 W.H.Smith Illustration Award for "The Hidden House". Her other titles include "The Snow Queen" and "The Walker Book of Ghost Stories". "Beware Beware" was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She also illustrated another wonderful book which is fantastic to read aloud - The Night Fairy.

Of course, you know I am going to say Beware Beware (1993) is now out of print. IF you have a mint condition new copy it is worth more than AUS$200. I did find a copy from an Australian online seller for just AUS$4 so I have made an enquiry about the postage cost. I think I do need to own this very special book!

Versatile full-spread illustrations, delicate and haunting, reflect and enhance the text. The movement from the poetic calm of the salmon pink sky to the frenzy within the wood is graceful and realistic. Split pages in two spreads allow Hill and Barrett to intensify still further the suspense of their wintry drama.  Publisher's Weekly

The Snow Knows by Jennifer McGrath illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

The snow knows

Where the rabbit goes

The snow knows

Where the pheasant sleeps ...

The snow knows where the porcupine ponders

and where the weasel bounds up and down.

Australian children who read this book will encounter lots of unfamiliar animals - and that is one of the joys of this simple tale. Each page also works like a game of hide and seek where your young reading companion can see a small visual hint of the creature on the next page. Lynx, otter, fox, partridge and coyote. I especially love the trees in the illustrations which I think might be larch. This is a perfect book to share on a cold winter day (even though here in Sydney we do not have snow!)

See more illustrations here

Here is the website for the illustrator Josée Bisaillon.  The Snow Knows is the winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. I was excited to see many previous winners have been featured here on my blog. I have put a few at the bottom of this post. 

This is a Canadian picture book published in 2016. It is a title from our Premier's Reading Challenge K-2 list [603347]. This book also contains examples of alliteration and onomatopoeia.

A beautiful book, destined to be a perennial winter favourite, and read aloud by a crackling fire. CBC

Previous winners of the Marilyn Baillie Picture book award from this blog. Pop any title into my search bar for more details. 

Wilder than Midnight by Cerrie Burnell

A baby is born but something is wrong. The mother takes the baby to huntsman and orders him to dispose of the child telling him she is dead. But this baby is not dead. The huntsman takes the tiny newborn to his own home and shortly after this he resigns from his job. Meanwhile the mother, who is actually the Queen, wants a replacement baby so sends her soldiers into the forest late at night and demands a young family surrender their new born baby girl. Baby Aurelia, as she is now named, is presented at her christening but someone arrives, not with a gift, but with a curse. When this girl pieces her finger on a spindle she will fall into a deep sleep and only the kiss from her true love will awaken her. 

Add to this mix a mysterious forest; dangerous wolves; local people under the tyrannical rule of an evil queen who forces them to work in her dangerous mines and three girls who form a team to reveal the truth and set Aurelia free. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of the writing:

Opening sentence: "At the edge of a fathomless forest, in a castle grey as could, a baby was born at the stroke of midnight. But, alas, all was not well."

"The scent of honeyed buns and baked currants reached Saffy through the cold. She flitted in through the open door of the bakery and breathed in happiness. On the counter were plates of creamy pastries, apple turnovers, sultana bread and slices of winter cake full of glistening cherries."

"Each wolf found its way to a member of the Forest Folk, and there they stood, heads and hearts level and aligned. ... Oak with her short dark hair, amazing knowledge of the forest and her red wolf named for her rare maple-leaf fur: Red. Jeremiah, the storyteller of the group ... his silver wolf Wisdom lingered by his side, her sharp intelligence glimmering like an aura. ... And Tobias - or Blackbeard - the protector of the group. With his bright eyes and rugged charm, stood with Rogue, his one-eyed cub."

When you pick up this book if you need a chapter to use as a book talk with a group in your library turn to chapter 19. It is filled with porridge, broken chairs, beds and bears but in a way that will delight you. 

If you love fairy tales then I am sure you will enjoy the alchemy of this story where so many favourites or elements of favourites are woven together. Red Riding Hood; Sleeping Beauty; Cinderella; Rapunzel; Goldilocks and the three bears; and the Snow Queen. This book is also a terrific page turner - I almost read it in sitting. Cerrie Burnell creates such a memorable atmosphere in the forest and in the tower where Aurelia is imprisoned and I loved the three feisty girls who work together to restore those two babies, now young girls, to their rightful families. 

Publisher blurb: Silverthorne is a place of secrets and stories. A forest full of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and murmurs of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and whispered. And something is stirring in the leaves . . . Saffy is a good girl, tired of being told to stick to the forest paths, and always follow the rules. Aurelia is a hidden girl, locked in a castle tower, dreaming of escaping the fate she's told awaits her Wild Rose is a fierce girl, raised by wolves, full of spells and fearlessness and cunning. Together, they will change Silverthorne forever.

I really enjoyed Wilder than Midnight but I went with four stars (nearly five) because I am not a fan of the cover (of course I am not the intended audience).

Wilder than Midnight will be published on 5th May, 2022. Here are some companion reads:

Cerrie Burnell is the author of twelve books. She appeared on the television show CBeebies. Just like Wild Rose in Wilder then Midnignt, Cerrie was born with a partly formed arm. 

The Girl who Planted Trees by Caryl Hart illustrated by Anastasia Suvorova

This book reminded me of Manjhi Moves a Mountain because here we have another book about patience, perseverance and holding fast to dreams. The young girl in this book discovers from her grandfather that once, long ago, the bare mountains near her home were covered with a beautiful green forest. Over time all of the trees have been cut down. 

This young girl is a problem solver. She is determined to fill the mountain with trees once again. So she takes a few seeds from her fruit and plants them at the top of the mountain. Sadly they do not grow into an instant forest. Her grandfather explains it will take a long time for trees to grow and of course any plants up on the dry mountain will need water. 

This is just a small obstacle for our young hero. She talks to people in her town and gathers a bigger collection of seeds. 

"Every day, she planted more seeds and watered them well. And soon the seeds began to sprout!"

The top of the mountain now has a small patch of green. But then disaster strikes. A huge storm destroys every tree - the tiny saplings were just too fragile. If you are sharing this book with a group of older children you could stop at this point and talk about what the children in your class or library might do if this happened to them.  Then keep reading and marvel at the perseverance and patience and wonderful work ethic of this girl. Everyone is sure to cheer when you see how her community responds too.

The Girl who Planted Trees is a new book from the wonderful publisher Nosy Crow (you can see inside this book) and it is available in paperback. Caryl Hart has written lots of books and I am also very keen to see another book illustrated  by Anastasia Surorova:

There are lots of books you could read alongside The Girl who Planted Trees:

The Secret Sky Garden

The Curious Garden

You should also look for one or two of these biographies:

The Wolf's Secret by Myriam Dahman and Nicolas Digard illustrated by Júlia Sardá

"His fur was dark like tree bark after the rain. His eyes were golden like the rising moon. "

"Her hair was dark like the woods and wild like the grass. In the depths of her amber eyes, the Wolf sensed a tenderness that touched his heart."

The wolf is a wild creature but from the edge of the forest he observes a young woman and her daily routine of collecting water and care of her dying father. He loves to hear her sing, "but one morning the young woman didn't come to the well." Her father has died.

In fairy tales we often read about the reward of a good deed. The Wolf catches a rabbit. He hears a voice say "Set me free ... and in return I will help you. I know your sorrow." The rabbit changes into a wizard and his advice is to follow the music but to also remember every choice has a consequence. At the top of a mountain the Wolf finds an enormous egg in a nest. He puts his head through a strap attached to the egg and it shrinks into a bell. Wearing the bell he returns to the young woman. 

The tiny bell gives the Wolf the power of human speech. For seven days the Wolf sits behind the young woman, she sings and he tells stories of the forest. At night the Wolf tries to hunt for his food but the tiny bell alerts his prey. Eventually the Wolf collapses from hunger. When he awakes he discovers the young woman has removed the bell. He can no longer speak to her but since she now has the talisman around her neck some thing miraculous has happened. 

At first I thought this book by French author Myriam Dahman was a translated book, and one review even mentioned this, but I am now fairly sure Myriam and Nicola, also from France, wrote this book in English. 

If you enjoy owning scrumptious books with rich illustrations and intriguing stories I suggest you add this book to your shopping list. Take a look at Júlia Sardá's art here. She lives in Barcelona.

This sumptuous hardback gift book, with gold foil detail, is perfect for lovers of fairy tales and fables, new and old. Hachette Australia

A beautiful and lyrical contemporary fairy tale about difference, trust and the power of friendship to overcome any obstacle, stunningly illustrated in rich autumnal colours ... Achucka

Julia Sarda has created a mysterious, mythical forest in which a bereaved girl finds solace in the company of animals and the rich darkness of leaf and earth. Dahman and Digard’s story turns Red Riding Hood on its head and celebrates the connection we have with the natural world rather than our disconnect from it: less of a fairy-tale style warning of the danger of wild animals than an acknowledgement of the wild within ourselves. Gorgeous. Book Trust

This story resonates on many levels and is a constant feast for the eye with its sumptuous illustrations reminiscent of those in old Russian tales. StoryLinks

Companion reads:

Bear and Wolf

Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen illustrated by John Schoenherr

If you go owling

you have to be quiet

and make your own heat.

When you go owling

you have to be brave.

When you go owling

you don't need words

or warm

or anything but hope.

That's what Pa says.

Image source : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/302185/owl-moon-by-jane-yolen/9780399214578/

Owl Moon is a book to treasure and revisit often. It is the perfect book to read on a quiet winter night even if you live (as I do) in a place where it never snows. Owl Moon was first published in 1987 and was the winner of the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1988. Happy 30th Birthday Owl Moon!

Once again here is a book that perfectly demonstrates the ideal marriage of poetry or poetic language in a picture book.

Our feet crunched
over the crisp snow
and little grey footprints
followed us.
Pa made a long shadow
but mine was short and round.
I had to run after him
every now and then
to keep up,
and my short, round shadow
bumped after me.

Look at the word placement here. Our feet crunched. This is the perfect word for the sound of shoes on snow. I had to run every now and then - short legs and long strides - this gives the right rhythm to their walk. Her shadow bumped an echo of the shadow's round shape.

Here is another beautiful piece of poetic prose:

The moon was high above us.
It seemed to fit
exactly
over the centre of the clearing
and the snow below it
was whiter than the milk
in a cereal bowl.

I was amazed to discover you can read a Jane Yolen book every day of the year - yes she has 365 titles ranging from picture books, junior titles such as Sleeping Ugly, Middle Grade novels such as A Plague of Unicorns, adult books and non fiction.

If you have not seen this book try to find it in a library. Once you have read the printed book and looked at the beautiful illustrations take a look at this gentle video. Here are some teaching ideas.  Here is a magical song - listen to this after you read the book - I guarantee you will shiver.

The illustrations make you shiver from the cold and want to pull your scarf up over your mouth.  New York Times

In this extraordinary title, Jane Yolen captures the magical moment when two people come face to face with a wild creature, a beautiful owl in its natural habitat. She also explores, in simple words packed with imagery, the bond that connects the little girl and her father as they take a special journey under an Owl Moon. Looking Glass Review

Yolen hints at a philosophical overtone ("When you go owling you don't need words or warm or anything but hope. . .the kind of hope that flies on silent wings. . ."), but the shared experience of the mysterious, natural night-world seems the more important message of this lovely, quiet book. Kirkus 

Heartwood Hotel: Home Again by Kallie George illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

Home Again is the final installment in the Heartwood Hotel series. There are four books about this special hotel which is located inside a huge tree. One for each season. In this final book it is high summer and bushfires are a horrifying threat in the forest.

Early in the story another mouse arrives at the Heartwood. Her name is Strawberry and she has come from the Inn Between. I love the idea of the Inn Between "only the best hotel for mice and small creatures in the village! What a wonderful idea, to repurpose the in-between floors of a house and turn them into a specialty hotel. "  The Inn Between is reminiscent of the home created by The Borrowers.

"The furniture ... was made of things she'd only heard about. Buttons and bottle caps were balanced on thimbles for tables, and there were spools of thread for chairs. Another chair was made of the top of a wooden spoon - but an enormous one."

Mona is such a special mouse. Why? Because she is motivated by kindness. An injured fox comes to the door. Everyone is afraid but it is Mona who goes outside, sees his pain and then fetches ice tea to cool his wound and pillows to make him comfortable.  When the smell of smoke threatens to ruin their staff picnic plans Mona suggests an inside picnic which is just as much fun for everyone. Finally when Mona learns, after she and Strawberry have been evacuated, that Mr Heartwood is in danger because he has stayed at the hotel planning to fight the fire single handed. Mona knows she must help him so she puts her own life in danger and rushes back through the most dangerous part of the forest ready to help save their precious hotel.

Here are some teaching ideas for all four books in this series. Take a minute to explore the web site of the illustrator Stephanie Greagin. I highly recommend this series for young readers or as a class read-aloud. It is not often that every book in a series is equally good but I can say that about each book about the Heartwood Hotel.  Wish I was the right species to stay there one day!

Image source: http://www.heartwoodhotel.com/rooms.html

Shelter by Céline Claire illustrated by Qin Leng

Who are the strangers?

What are they doing here?

What do they want?

Shelter is so much more than the simple story of weary travellers seeking food, or of strangers needing shelter from the storm.  The forest animals know a storm is coming. They gather supplies and settle down in their snug homes. Then Little Fox asks a prophetic question "What if others are still outside?" There are others outside. Two figures emerge through the fog. They offer to exchange some tea for a moment by a warm fire. They offer to exchange the tea for a few cookies for dipping. They offer their tea again for some light on this dark night. Every plea is rejected so the pair of bears (large and small) set off to make their own shelter - an ice cave. They warm themselves by dancing in the snow.

Just before they move away there is, however, one tiny moment of kindness.  Little Fox runs after the strangers and he gives them a small lantern. He explains:  "You can't eat it, and it's not as warm or nearly as bright as a fire ...' 'But it's still generous,' Big Brother says kindly. 'Thank you."

Meanwhile the storm has intensified and the foxes find their den is collapsing. Now they need shelter, warmth and food. This is the point in the story where you will hold your breath.  The roles are reversed. How will the strangers react?  Will they offer shelter and their warm tea or will they be as hostile as the forest animals have been just a few hours ago?

I first saw this book in a wonderful bookshop in Vancouver. The story has lingered with me so when I spied it in a school library this week I knew I had to borrow it, read it again, think about it and share it here. As this is a Canadian book it might not have caught your attention but I hope it has now and that you might consider this book as an important addition to your library.

This book provides a wonderful opportunity for discussions about being welcoming and helping others in need, including how children can put this into practice by reaching out to the “new kid” or the one who seems different. Kids Can Press

Claire’s prose is rhythmic and gentle, with enjoyable repetition and memorable lines that lend themselves to being read aloud. Leng’s earth-toned watercolors and light strokes of pen and ink have a wonderful messiness about them ... Kirkus star review

Shelter is a story about community, acceptance, and generosity. ... Reading a story like Shelter to children is an excellent way to open up conversations about accepting others, helping people in need, and selfless giving. Littlest Bookshelf

This book brings to mind a quote from the bible:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in ..."

There are messages in this book about kindness and empathy but you could also use it to talk about our treatment of refugees. I would share this book with young children but also with senior Primary classes as a way to open up a discussion about the important issues we are facing in our world today. I highly recommend this book.

Shelter was originally published in French with the title L'abri. Céline Claire is the author of many books but Shelter is her first book translated into English. Qin Leng was born in Changhai, China and now lives in Toronto.

The illustrator of Shelter, Qin Leng has another title from Kids Can Press which I am keen to read.

And here is her newest book:

Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Once, there were two sisters.
Rose had hair like threads of black silk and cheeks like two red petals and a voice that was gentle and sometimes hard to hear. Snow had hair like white swan down and eyes the color of the winter sky, with a laugh that was sudden and wild.


Before you read this review take ten minutes to listen to this audio version of Snow White and Rose Red by the Grimm Brothers.  It is essential to have a good knowledge of this fairy tale before you read Snow and Rose.

I first saw Snow and Rose in a large city book shop and I was attracted to the cover and the promise of a story based on a fairy tale. More recently I visited Beachside Bookshop where I again spied this book and so I decided to buy it. I was right about the cover and scrumptious illustrations but wrong about the story.  This is not a plot based around the fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red but rather an actual retelling of the fairy tale in the longer format of a 200 page illustrated novel.

I will confess I was not familiar with this tale by the Grimm Brothers but as I read on I realised I needed to find the original tale. There are three covers at the bottom of this post or you may find the tale in a Fairy Tale collection. I actually thought there would be more picture book editions - this is a gap in the market which needs filling. 

Emily Wingfield Martin weaves in all the story elements from the original and then adds her own delicious descriptions. 

"Half the garden was filled entirely with white flowers of every kind - with pale, delicate bells of lily of the valley, spires of vanilla foxgloves with speckled throats, climbing moonflower vines, and bright-eyed anemones, from the tiniest white daisy to ivory dahlias the size of dinner plates."

"And the other half bloomed only in red: vermilion poppies and scarlet pansies and wine-colored snapdragons and Japanese lanterns the color of fire. And dozens and dozens of roses, each with a hundred red petals."

And here is the description of the very special library the girls find in the forest.  They each borrow an object not knowing exactly how these curiosities will help them.

"On every side of the staircase were intricate shelves built into the walls and arm's reach away. As the girls made their way up, they were further puzzled, for in this library, there weren't any books. Instead arranged on the shelves, nestled in nooks, displayed in boxes, stuffed into glass bottles, were hundreds - maybe thousands- of little objects. ... A bit of coral, a spotted feather, a scrap of velvet, a paper crane, a delicate bone, a pebble of fool's gold, ... a postage stamp, an acorn, a baby tooth, a sliver button."

One of the joys with writing this blog is when I discover connections. Emily Wingfield Martin is the author of several picture books (you can hear her talking about her books here) and she is also the author a book I did enjoy a few years ago called Oddfellows Orphanage.


As with all fairy tales, there are lessons in these books: Cultivate inner beauty. Be kind, especially to any creature or fellow human who is suffering. And because young heroines figure so prominently, one notion emerges with particular clarity: Girls have the interior resources to do anything they want, and while a little magic helps, it’s hardly necessary. New York Times

For lovers of fairy tales, this story of sisterhood, taking risks, and being kind is a physically beautiful book with an appealing cover and captivating full-color illustrations. Kirkus

Rabbit and Bear - The pest in the nest by Julian Gough and Jim Field

"Wow,' said Rabbit very quietly. 'I thought the world was Small, 
and full of Me; but it is Big and not full of me at all.' 

'Yes,' said Bear. 'Yes yes yes,' said Woodpecker."

Winter is over.  "Spring has sprung!"  Time for Rabbit to move out of Bear's cave and get on with spring cleaning his burrow.  He ejects a slow tortoise and settles down in the sunshine when

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There is a woodpecker in the tree near his burrow and she is making such a racket.  Rabbit it furious but Bear makes an excellent suggestion.

"What are you looking for?' said Bear. 
'A rock. A big one. To throw at that Woodpecker menace.' 
'Why don't we help her, instead?' said Bear.  
'Help her?'
'Yes, help her.'
"Help her DRIVE ME CRAZY?' said Rabbit. 'What kind of friend are YOU?'
'No,' said bear. 'Help her finish her job faster, so she doesn't drive you crazy."

Even though Rabbit calls Bear a traitor, Bear climbs the tree (he's had a lot of practice looking for honey).  He discovers the view is spectacular and so he gives Rabbit a lift up to the top of the tree so he can share this wonder.  Rabbit changes his outlook on life but on returning to the ground there are still things that infuriate him.  As Bear explains - "Maybe you could just think about the world differently ... Maybe you could accept it."

I love the way this book shows young readers how we can all make choices about our reactions to situations and to one another.  This book also talks about taking responsibility for these reactions and actions but not in a heavy 'teacher-talk' way.  This is little book is a true gem which will warm your heart and make you smile.  It might also make you want to climb a tree to see the mountains behind the mountains behind the mountains.

I adored the first book in this series about rabbit and bear and so I was exited to discover the second one.  I have been spending some time recently looking for junior chapter books which I can recommend.  Both books in this series are on the top of my list.  Here are some of the pages from this book.

Good news early next year you can read the third book in this series.  If you click this quote you can read a more detailed review of The pest in the nest.



Warmth, tenderness and humour fill every page of this enchanting story. Simply written and utterly engaging, it effortlessly exemplifies the way to wisdom and wellbeing. Children's books for Keeps

The beast of Hushing wood by Gabrielle Wang

Life in the village Dell Hollow, which sits beside Hushing Wood, is an unhappy one.  Outsiders are shunned and everyone is deeply afraid of the woods which wrap around this isolated community. Prosperity and joy seem to be things of the past.

Ziggy Truegood lives in this town. She is different.  Her father was an outsider.  He has now left taking her two older brothers with him. Her momma has withdrawn into her house.  Ziggy is treated as an outsider by the people of the village but she is not fearful of the woods.  She often goes there alone and loves to spend time in her special place inside a huge Hollow Tree.

Ziggy has some true friends.  Pearl, Big Bobby Little and her faithful dog Mystic. Her precious grandfather has been moved in to a care home. His memory seems to be failing but Ziggy is sure he has important things to tell her.

A new boy called Raffi arrives at school. He seems to be watching Ziggy and she is immediately afraid of him.  The mystery deepens when Ziggy sees him with a leopard. Her friend Pearl cannot see this huge and beautiful wild creature but Ziggy is convinced the creature is real as is the animal with white fur she glimpses in the woods.  Then at school Ziggi is attacked by a golden eagle.

"Raffi is standing at the edge of the woods. He looks at me, then turns, shielding his eyes from the sun. At that moment, as it he's summoned it, a huge shadow swoops out of the trees and flies straight for us. ... I feel a wing brushing my hair and then a sudden sharp pain on my cheek."

Ziggy has been having dreams for weeks.  They seem to be predicting a series of terrifying events culminating in her own death on her birthday.

All the pieces of this complex puzzle begin to come together when Ziggy and the silent boy, Big Bobby uncover old books hidden behind the walls in the town library.  Ziggy reads about a trickster dragonfly who is really a jinn.  The jinn has taken a young girl and now her brother (Raffi) and his grandfather must find Kalila before it is too late.

This is a book filled with tension and a well crafted story that will keep your interest right to the end. I love the idea that your imagination can take you to other realms.

"When it becomes strong, your imagination can take you to incredible places. These are real places, although you cannot touch them with your hands ... But you can touch them with your heart."

We have fourteen books by the Australian author Gabrielle Wang in our school library. I was interested to read that she spent time in America to get the right feel for her small community in The beast of Hushing Wood. Here is a review of The beast of Hushing Wood.  I recommend you also read The Garden of the Empress of Cassia.  You might also enjoy The Stonekeeper's daughter by Linda McNabb.

This book has a dark fairy tale feel to it, where magic and mystery intertwine to bring you a reality where you are not always sure what is real and 

what is in your imagination. Kids Book Review