  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 05/01/2020 Twelve-year-old Rufus wants to spend summer vacation at nearby Feylawn, his grandfather’s farm, aimlessly exploring the forest, meadow, orchard, and creek. Despite his father’s misguided attempts to limit his time there, he perseveres and discovers a beautifully crafted model locomotive in the barn. After hearing its bell ring, he can see and converse with feylings—diminutive, flying, surprisingly hostile fairies who live in failing health at Feylawn and long to ride the train back home to the Green World, where they can heal. Can Rufus find the missing cars and restore the train? He and his cousin Abigail deal with goblins and waken a boulder giant as they follow the cryptic rhyming clues. While their search drives the plot effectively, and their encounters with foes add drama, at the story's heart is Rufus’ growing confidence as he stands up for himself and what he values. Adults as well as kids are portrayed as flawed individuals. Amusing scenes balance weightier ones in this appealing chapter book, the first of two volumes planned for the Feylawn Chronicles series. - Copyright 2020 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 3–6—Slater has created a fun, emotionally driven fairy story. All 12-year-old Rufus wants to do for the summer is run wild around his grandfather's property which is equipped with forest, orchards, and a creek. He does not want to go to an educational camp, work on dad-approved projects, or spend time with his overachiever cousin, Abigail. But when Rufus and Abigail discover a secret world of magical creatures that need their help, they have to set aside their differences to solve a mystery and fight a lurking evil. This story is familiar—two kids discover a secret world hiding right under their noses and have to battle something evil to protect it—but Slater breathes new life into the trope. The fraught relationship between Rufus and his father rings true and lends a realistic anchor to this fantasy story. Rufus and Abigail are under immense pressure from their parents, and the world, to excel and be unique, but only in a socially acceptable way. This mirrors the pressures young people are under today, where kids are already preparing for college applications at the age of 11. In a world with so much responsibility, it is lovely to escape into fairyland. VERDICT An excellent readalike for "The Spiderwick Chronicles" by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; recommended for any young fantasy fans.—Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons M.S., Aurora, IL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 3–6—Slater has created a fun, emotionally driven fairy story. All 12-year-old Rufus wants to do for the summer is run wild around his grandfather's property which is equipped with forest, orchards, and a creek. He does not want to go to an educational camp, work on dad-approved projects, or spend time with his overachiever cousin, Abigail. But when Rufus and Abigail discover a secret world of magical creatures that need their help, they have to set aside their differences to solve a mystery and fight a lurking evil. This story is familiar—two kids discover a secret world hiding right under their noses and have to battle something evil to protect it—but Slater breathes new life into the trope. The fraught relationship between Rufus and his father rings true and lends a realistic anchor to this fantasy story. Rufus and Abigail are under immense pressure from their parents, and the world, to excel and be unique, but only in a socially acceptable way. This mirrors the pressures young people are under today, where kids are already preparing for college applications at the age of 11. In a world with so much responsibility, it is lovely to escape into fairyland. VERDICT An excellent readalike for "The Spiderwick Chronicles" by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; recommended for any young fantasy fans.—Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons M.S., Aurora, IL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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