FAIRY DOOR DIARIES:
ELIZA AND THE FLOWER FAIRIES
by Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Lenny Wen
Candlewick Press
Chapter Book
91 pages
ages 5 to 9
COMING FEBRUARY 4th, 2025!!!
From the beloved author of the Judy Moody and Stink series comes the first in a sparkling series of chapter books about a girl whose love for magic and fairy folk takes her on enchanting adventures
Imagine a door.
A teeny-tiny fairy door.
Now imagine it is magic.
Open the door.
To some, the low door in Eliza’s bedroom might look like an ordinary entrance to a crawl space under the stairs. But to a believer like Eliza of the Elves, it’s the door to the Land of UnderStair, a secret hideout all her own. In that crawl space, festooned with twinkling lights, Eliza keeps her favorite book, her collections of precious items, her stuffed animals, and her new diary. And in that crawl space is another door, a teeny-tiny one that can transport Eliza to a world of tangerine sun and lemon-pudding sky, a place where flower fairies perch on every bloom and a new flower springs up whenever you pick one.
Imagine a door.
A teeny-tiny fairy door.
Now imagine it is magic.
Open the door.
To some, the low door in Eliza’s bedroom might look like an ordinary entrance to a crawl space under the stairs. But to a believer like Eliza of the Elves, it’s the door to the Land of UnderStair, a secret hideout all her own. In that crawl space, festooned with twinkling lights, Eliza keeps her favorite book, her collections of precious items, her stuffed animals, and her new diary. And in that crawl space is another door, a teeny-tiny one that can transport Eliza to a world of tangerine sun and lemon-pudding sky, a place where flower fairies perch on every bloom and a new flower springs up whenever you pick one.
But in a far corner of that world, Eliza tries to pick a strangely beautiful flower—“Nooooo!” cries her friend Poppy—and things soon go terribly awry. Can a brave, wilting Poppy rescue Eliza from beyond the hedgerow before the Demon Wind steals all the flower fairies’ scents, leaving the snapdragons with no snap? In this launch of a new series, Megan McDonald brings her well-honed flair for wordplay to delicious villains like the witches Wolfsbane and Belladonna as she follows a child with a big imagination to a different fairy realm in each book. Lenny Wen’s delightful, richly colored artwork brings Eliza’s world to life with fanciful details sure to have readers creating their own cozy retreats—and visiting magical lands beyond the door.
MY TIDBITS
The magic of a fairy world comes across with sweet goodness and a little, exciting adventure, which fits great to the audience level.
Eliza has a secret. The door in her bedroom floor, which should lead to the crawl space underneath the house, opens up to a beautiful world, instead. She enjoys visiting the gorgeous landscape, especially the colorful flowers. Then, one day, she accidentally runs into a fairy...and the entire fairy world comes into sight. They are a wonderful bunch of friends, and she loves to play with them. But when one of the fairies lands behind the hedge, villains release an evil curse, one that Eliza isn't sure she can turn around.
These pages open up to a cute story about an adventurous, little girl, who just happens to cross a bit of magic. The fairies are friendly and kind, laying the foundation for a wholesome and fun read. Their personalities are just enough to pull in and have readers wishing they could slip into this world, too. When the villains enter the tale and bring a curse, it adds just the right amount of adventure to keep those pages turning. Eliza does have quite the journey, each moment adding a new level to the fantasy to make it hard to guess what is coming next. It all flows together well and rounds off at the end with the promise of more to come.
The text is great for those, who are pretty sure of their words, but might need a bit more practice before attempting middle grade novels. The chapters are not too short or overly long, giving a good reading pace the entire way through. There are many illustrations sprinkled in between the pages, which not only help keep the plot clear but add a lovely touch to the fantasy. It's fun just to look at these and dream of the story.
It's an enjoyable story with fun fantasy and is sure to especially draw in those, who dream of entering a fairy world themselves.
And here they are...
| Megan McDonald is the author of the popular Judy Moody and Stink series for older readers, the Judy Moody and Friends series for beginning readers, and the first chapter book Bunny and Clyde. She has also written many other chapter books and picture books for children. Megan McDonald lives in California. | |
Lenny Wen is the illustrator of Smiling Eyes by Linda Sue Park, among other books, and the author-illustrator of Spicy Spicy Hot! and Wolfgang in the Meadow. Born in Indonesia, Lenny Wen now lives in Austria. |
1 comment:
This sounds like a fun chapter book series my daughter would have enjoyed as a kid.
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