Author: Schizanthus Nerd

The Magicians: Alice’s Story – Lilah Sturges

Creator – Lev Grossman

Illustrations – Pius Bak

One thing you learn about magic is that just when you think you know what it’s all about … it finds a way to surprise you.

I’m a tad obsessed with Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. The only problem is that the best intentions in the world have so far only extended far enough to buying the trilogy, not actually reading it. It’s been on my ‘I must remedy this egregious error immediately’ list for too long already but at least I’ve binge watched the TV series so I haven’t missed out entirely.

This graphic novel is based on the first book in the trilogy and it’s told from the perspective of one of my favourite characters, Alice. I loved Alice’s arc in the TV series and hope to get to know her even better once I’ve read the trilogy.

If you’re a fan of the trilogy, the TV series or both, then I’m almost positive you’ll love this graphic novel. If this is your introduction to Brakebills and Fillory then it may pique your interest but you may not connect with some of the magicians, including Janet, Josh or Eliot, as their personalities don’t have much of a chance to shine in this format.

While I didn’t learn much about Alice or her magical friends that I didn’t already know I did love the glimpses into her childhood, particularly the brief interaction between her and her older brother, Charlie, before he left home to attend Brakebills.

I would have liked the opportunity to get to know Charlie better though. I still love Alice, although in saying that, she’s socially awkward and nerdy, so I see myself in her a lot. Except for the whole magician thing. I wish!

I loved visiting Brakebills

and learning how to become a magician vicariously through Alice and co., at least until I met this guy.

I did wait in vain for some information I learned about the Beast’s backstory from the TV series to be revealed in the graphic novel. I’m guessing when I read the trilogy I’ll find the information I thought was missing was a result of creative license for the TV series rather than anything actually being missing from the books.

I enjoyed getting to know Alice, Penny and Quentin all over again, although I missed Julia’s presence, who I fell in love with during the TV series but was MIA for the majority of the graphic novel.

Since we were all probably making comparisons anyway I really appreciated Alice’s observation of a difference between herself and those who attend Hogwarts. I love it when a series can poke fun at itself.

Besides attending Brakebills, I also travelled to Fillory, which is the magical land that our magicians thought only existed in their favourite books.

My Fillory equivalent would be suddenly learning that Eleanor West from Seanan McGuire’s imagination really does have a home for wayward children, one that I can attend while I wait for my doorway to reappear. Although I would definitely tag along with Alice to Fillory if I had the chance too.

If ever there was a book series within a book series I need to read it’s Fillory and Further.

Alice was a great choice for telling the overall story of Brakebills and Fillory. Hers is a story of love, loss, determination, hard work and courage. She begins the story an outsider, wracked by social anxiety and anxiety in general

and then she grows throughout the story in ways that you have to read to believe. And believe I did. I love this character and I can’t get enough of this world Lev Grossman has created.

I’d happily sign up for any future Magicians graphic novels (I’ve already read this one twice) but I would absolutely love to see a companion graphic novel showing Julia’s experiences; her path is so different to anyone else’s that we meet in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, for granting my wish to read this graphic novel.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The Magicians: Alice’s Story is an all new chapter set in the world of The Magicians trilogy of novels by New York Times bestselling author Lev Grossman that retells the events of the first novel through fan-favourite character Alice Quinn.

Alice Quinn is manifestly brilliant, and she’s always known that magic is real. During her years at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, she rises to the top of her class, falls in love with Quentin Coldwater, and witnesses a horrifically magical creature invade their dimension.

It’s not soon after graduation when Alice, Quentin, and their friends set their sights on the idyllic setting of Fillory – a place thought to only live in the pages of their favorite children’s books – where magic flows like rivers … But in this magical realm nothing is what it seems and something darker lies behind the spellbinding facade. It is in the darkness where Alice will discover her true calling and her life, and those friends, forever changed.

Acclaimed novelist Lev Grossman joins New York Times bestselling writer Lilah Sturges (Jack of Fables), and breakout artist Pius Bak for a new chapter in the smash hit trilogy The Magicians.

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Hotel Dare – Terry Blas

Illustrations – Claudia Aguirre

Portals! Space pirates! Wizards! Woohoo!

After my initial read I gave this graphic novel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I enjoyed it more when I reread it yesterday and got even more out of the story during today’s third read. It has mystery, adventure and heart, plus there’s a badass granny!

Charlotte is the newest member of the Dare family. She goes with Darwin, who has a female rat called Donut, and Olive, who identifies as queer and loves organising, to Mamá Lupe’s hotel in Mexico for the summer.

Mamá Lupe has warned them to stay out of her office but these are three kids spending their summer cleaning rooms in a hotel; naturally the allure of the forbidden is too interesting to ignore. Soon they learn that this isn’t an ordinary hotel and Mamá Lupe is not your typical granny.

There are hidden worlds to explore and between them, these adopted siblings meet wizards, space pirates and cuddlemuffins. I adored Sunny the Cuddlemuffin! Along the way Charlotte learns about belonging and family, and what home really means.

I loved how Claudia Aguirre brought Terry Blas’ story to life, with plenty of detail and vibrant colours. The Land of the Dead was always going to be my favourite portal destination but I enjoyed them all. I did Google some Spanish to figure out some small sections of dialogue but I would have still known what was happening if I hadn’t.

I could easily keep rereading this story and I would happily visit other portals with these kids if there was a sequel. Thank you so much to NetGalley and KaBOOM!, an imprint of BOOM! Studios, for granting my wish to read this graphic novel.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

It’s not your typical family vacation when Olive, and her adopted siblings Darwin and Charlotte find themselves falling into other worlds as they explore Grandma Lupé’s strange hotel.

OPEN THE DOOR. ADVENTURE AWAITS. 

Olive and her adopted siblings Charlotte and Darwin are spending the summer with their estranged grandma at her creepy hotel and it’s all work and no play. They’re stuck inside doing boring chores but they soon stumble upon an incredible secret … Behind each room door of the hotel lies a portal to a different strange and mysterious place. The simple turn of a knob transports them to a distant magical world filled with space pirates. Behind the next door are bearded wizards. Down the hall is a doorway to a cotton-candied kingdom. But once the doors are opened, worlds start colliding, and only one family can save them before they tear themselves apart. 

Written by Terry Blas (The Amazing World of Gumball) and illustrated by the talented Claudia Aguirre (Kim & Kim), this world-hopping fantasy tale breaks down the door to imagination and dares you to embrace the idea that family is everything.

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Under the Love Umbrella – Davina Bell

Illustrations – Allison Colpoys

Up in the sky, amongst the stars

There’s something you might not see …

But over your head and just above

There’s an umbrella of my love

To show it’s you I’m thinking of

Wherever you might be.

Warm and fuzzies abound in this gorgeous picture book. We follow four children, who are introduced in the beginning of the book as Joe, Brian, Grace and Izzy, as they navigate the world under their love umbrellas. No matter what they’re feeling or what they’re doing, they’re assured of the love of their family, which follows them wherever they go.

This is the kind of book that makes me almost wish I had a child I could read this to each bedtime. Because the love umbrella works whether you’re with your loved ones or not I can also see the value of using this book if your child has separation anxiety or if a caregiver needed to be absent from the home for a period of time for work, illness or miscellaneous. Multiple ethnicities are represented, as are different types of families, although I didn’t find any children with a visible disability in any of the illustrations.

I’m always up for a challenge so I loved the idea of trying to discover all of the umbrellas pictured in the book and if I was reading this with a child I’d be encouraging them to help me find them. My personal favourite ‘hidden’ umbrella was the moving truck number plate – BR0LLY.

The illustrations are lovely. The umbrellas in the stars and fireworks are particularly creative and there are plenty of details to appreciate, including a framed picture of a bear wearing a tutu and holding (you guessed it!) an umbrella.

I wouldn’t usually choose a book for bedtime reading with fluorescent colours but for some reason it works here, especially when there’s a dark background.

I’m probably more partial to the idea of love umbrellas because once upon a time, when a work friend and I were having a bad day or needed some emotional support we’d ask to borrow an umbrella from the other. We’d end up having a coffee and a chat, and even if the problem wasn’t solved by the end of the conversation we felt better knowing we could share it with someone who cared. We gave each other umbrella themed gifts and each had one of those umbrellas you find in fancy drinks on our desks at work.

Just looking at that flimsy little paper umbrella made me smile each time I glanced at it; it reminded me that whatever type of day I was having there was someone in the next office who cared enough about me to be there for me no matter what, and vice versa. It prevented me from ever feeling alone. Although it’s many years later I still associate umbrellas with emotional support and it makes my heart feel all gooey that the kids who are read this book are going to associate the imagery of umbrellas with love.

This book will have you thinking about who’s under your Love Umbrella. ☂️

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Whatever you fear, come close my dear

You’re tucked in safe for always here

And I will never not be near

Because of our love umbrella

From this award-winning creative duo comes a book about the wonder of ever-present love. A stunning celebration of the joy and comfort that is always with us, wherever we roam in the big, wild world.

Who’s under your Love Umbrella? 

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Smoke and Key – Kelsey Sutton

“You’re dead, darlin’. This isn’t hell, but it’s the next best thing.”

She hears a voice imploring her to wake up. She falls and finds herself surrounded by dirt. In Under she meets a group of strangers whose bodies are in different stages of decomposition. While they can all remember general knowledge they do not remember anything personal from their lives. Each awoke with an item that was buried with them, an item that helps their owner decide their Under name.

The girl who wakes at the beginning of the book becomes Key. She meets Ribbon, Smoke, Journal, Handkerchief, Doll, and many others. Shortly after Key arrives in Under the first murder occurs and there’s no waking up from this death.

We are ghosts, but we are the ones being haunted.

Key’s flashbacks provide frequent snippets of information about her life before death, building towards revelations that may hold more danger than she could imagine. I found the flashbacks interesting but expect readers who aren’t a fan of multiple flashbacks could find their frequency and slow drip of information irritating.

Given the exponential growth of my TBR pile I was definitely attracted to a life after death that included books and no need for sleep. I loved guessing who the characters may have been before their deaths, the mysterious writings on the wall, the magic and Journal’s tower with all of his books.

I liked getting to know the main characters but found many of the minor characters interchangeable. I didn’t always know which minor character was being referenced as I didn’t know much more about them other than the item they were buried with. I was disappointed by the lack of resolution surrounding Doll; I did learn who she was in life but I have so many unanswered questions about her.

While I enjoyed some aspects of the love triangle I did find the kissing scenes when the characters were dead a tad squirmy, although I acknowledge I probably overthought it. Maybe if I hadn’t already read about the putrid death breath of other characters (who don’t need to breathe because they’re dead, but anyway) it wouldn’t have bothered me so much, but the idea of death breath kisses didn’t exactly make me want to go, “Awww!” I can only hope that Tintype found some toothbrushes and toothpaste for these kissing corpses to use that I wasn’t aware of.

I adored the concept of this book and loved the initial world building but would have liked to learn more about Under and its residents. Had this book covered all of the details I craved it would have been close to twice the length though. The magic was interesting but could have been fleshed out (sorry!) more. I also found the mystery fairly predictable. The final few chapters wrapped up the story too quickly for my liking. Despite my need for more, most of my questions were answered and a sneaky tear did escape quite unexpectedly.

Overall this was an enjoyable read (one I can see myself rereading) and I am interested in reading more of this author’s books. I don’t usually wander into historical fiction territory but this book made me wonder what I’m missing out on. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC, for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A sound awakens her. There’s darkness all around. And then she’s falling …

She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she’s dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names – from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.

She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn’t utter a word. There’s Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key’s instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can’t remember why.

Then the murders start. Bodies that are burned to a crisp. And after being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was – and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden – before she loses her life for good …

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Super Sidekicks #1: No Adults Allowed – Gavin Aung Than

Junior Justice (JJ) is sick of being the sidekick of the most famous superhero in the world so he decides to form his own team. Together with Flygirl, Dinomite and Goo, these heroes are ready to prove to the adults that they’re capable of doing more than laundry.

JJ is the world’s greatest martial artist, a master in multiple disciplines including Mongolian tickle fighting. Flygirl is the world’s most acrobatic flyer. Dinomite has a degree in quantum mechanics and can speak 47 languages but all anyone wants him to do is transform into different dinosaurs. Goo is, well, pink goo. When Goo is kidnapped by evil Dr Enok it’s up to his new friends to rescue him.

This graphic novel had some great messages for young readers, including looking out for your friends and working together as a team. I found Goo adorable and couldn’t wait for his friends to save him from his creator, Dr Enok, who delighted in abusing and torturing my pink gooey friend.

The illustrations are a lot of fun. I love that this new superhero team is based on Sydney; the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are featured in several images. I particularly enjoyed the expressions shown on the chapter pages; each chapter number is covered in Goo and they show how he’s feeling in that chapter.

I would have devoured this graphic novel as a kid and am looking forward to the Super Sidekicks’ next adventure, Ocean’s Revenge.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Superheroes have it easy. They don’t have to clean their secret headquarters, wash the alien bloodstains out of their costumes or be responsible for taking Super Mutt out for a walk. No, they leave all that for their sidekicks like me, while they get all the credit! 

I’m Junior Justice, but you can call me JJ, and I think it’s time we made our own team. 

The Super Sidekicks!

Are you with me? 

Being a superhero sidekick isn’t as fun as you think. You do all the work, beat the bad guys and save the planet, only for your grown-up partner to get all the credit. Junior Justice is sick of it, so he and his sidekick pals, Flygirl, Dinomite and Goo, have decided to form their own super team. 

But before they can start saving the world they’ll have to prove to the adult heroes that they’re more than just sidekicks. And once the evil Dr Enok discovers his favourite pet Goo has left him to join a super team, the world might need saving sooner rather than later!

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Northwoods Mystery #1: Enchantment Lake – Margi Preus

Francie hasn’t been back to the lake in seven years, ever since the Accident when she was ten. Now she’s back, courtesy of a frantic phone call from her aunt Astrid, who informs her that

“Someone is frying two grilled auks.”

Once she arrives at the lake her two ‘quirky’ aunts, Astrid and Jeannette, fill her in.

“Frenchy,” Astrid said, her eyes dancing, “there’s a mystery here. And we think you’re the only one who can solve it.”

Okay, girls. What mystery?

“It’s about the road!” Astrid chirped. “We don’t know that,” Jeannette snapped.

Well, that clears that up. Thanks, girls. Because Francie played a detective on a kid’s TV show all of the locals seem to think this qualifies her to solve their very own murder mystery, with locals dying as a result of “strange accidents”. Francie disagrees but starts investigating anyway.

While the mystery is finally solved, the mystery of whether anything sinister was involved in her father’s death is not solved, nor is the mystery of who her mother is or even how Francie got her nickname. Her nickname on the island was French Fry but everyone seems to have given her a nickname for that nickname, so the locals call her Frenchy.

I had been looking forward to this series, mostly because of the amazing cover and the promise of quirky aunts. I still love the cover but was so disappointed by the aunts; simply calling someone quirky doesn’t make it so. I barely managed to scrounge up the makings of a personality between any of the characters and while the aunts had a lot more than anyone else, I would be hard pressed to tell you exactly what it was that was supposed to make them quirky.

I found the mystery fairly boring and had trouble getting past the fact that so many people on the island believed Francie was a detective working in New York; she grew up on the island so wouldn’t the majority of the people she speaks to know she’s only 17?

When she has a chance to find out something about her mother, who she knows absolutely nothing about, she lets the chance slide on by without attempting to follow up. She keeps thinking that she’s a lousy detective, seeming to also forget that she’s not one!

I really struggled to even finish reading this book and am not keen on reading the sequel, although I will at some point because the publisher was kind enough to provide a copy to me. I really hope the sequel wows me.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A disturbing call from her great aunts Astrid and Jeannette sends seventeen-year-old Francie far from her new home in New York into a tangle of mysteries. Ditching an audition in a Manhattan theater, Francie travels to a remote lake in the northwoods where her aunts’ neighbours are “dropping like flies” from strange accidents. But are they accidents?

On the shores of Enchantment Lake in the woods of northern Minnesota, something ominous is afoot, and as Francie begins to investigate, the mysteries multiply: a poisoned hotdish, a puzzling confession, eerie noises in the bog, and a legendary treasure that is said to be under enchantment – or is that under Enchantment, as in under the lake? At the centre of everything is a suddenly booming business in cabin sales and a road not everyone wants built.

To a somewhat reluctant northwoods Nancy Drew, the intrigue proves irresistible, especially when it draws her closer to the mysteries at the heart of her own life: What happened to her father? Who and where is her mother? Who is she, and where does her heart lie – in the bustle of New York City or the deep woods of Minnesota? With its gripping story, romantic spirit, and a sly dash of modern-day trouble (evil realtors and other invasive species), Enchantment Lake will fascinate readers, providing precisely the charm that Margi Preus’s readers have come to expect.

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Midnight Reynolds #1: Midnight Reynolds and the Spectral Transformer – Catherine Holt

Twelve year old Midnight is a colour-coded spreadsheet kind of girl. She lives with her mother and sister, Taylor, who is three years older tham Midnight. She’s dreading her mother’s wedding to fiancé, Phil, whose involvement in a Viking group is super embarrassing.

Midnight is keen to fit in at all costs with her new popular friends, Lucy and Sav, even if that means she has to wear uncomfortably tight clothes and find a job so she can save up to go on a ski trip with them.

Something strange happened to Midnight when her family moved to Berry; she began to see flickering white lights and hears buzzing that no one else seemed to notice. When Midnight meets one of her neighbours, Miss Appleby, she couldn’t imagine that it would lead to her joining Miss Appleby in hunting ghosts. Oh, pardon me, spectral energy.

“When someone dies, they leave behind an essence. In theory, their essence is meant to pass across to the Afterglow, but something different happens in Berry. There’s a phenomenon called a Black Stream – a huge ripple of electromagnetic currents that encircles our entire town and sucks spectral energy into inanimate objects. People’s energy gets stuck here, and when spectral energy stays in an inanimate object for too long, it festers and turns into something evil and endangers our whole town.”

Between trying to keep up with her popular friends, working with Miss Appleby, working on a history assignment with Tabitha and trying to avoid anything related to her mother’s upcoming wedding (which will no doubt be Viking themed), Midnight is exhausted.

I despised Midnight’s popular friends and wanted to hiss at them each time they opened their mouths. It pained me to see Midnight trying to be someone she isn’t in order to fit in. In contrast, I adored Tabitha, who likes visiting cemeteries, doesn’t care what people think of her and wears black, who has wonderful lines including:

“You’re welcome to send me an invitation to your pity party once this is all over, but right now we need to get to work.”

I also liked the boy crush that wanders through the pages. I hope he’s in the next book because he seems like a sweetheart. I enjoyed the introduction to the paranormal in this book and am really keen to read the next book. This feels like cheating but Midnight summed up my feelings about this book a lot better than I could.

“It is a little bit weird,” Midnight corrected, smiling. “But then again, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When twelve year-old misfit Midnight Reynolds takes a job helping out eccentric Miss Appleby in the mansion down the street, she never imagined her work would involve battling ghosts. But as it turns out, Midnight and her new employer have quite a bit in common – they were both born on Halloween and have the power to see spirits of the dead. But when Midnight learns more about the history of her town, she starts to wonder if she’s fighting on the right side.

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Sherlock Bones #1: Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery – Renée Treml

When the royal blue diamond, the world’s largest gemstone, goes missing from the State Natural History Museum it’s up to Sherlock Bones and Watts to solve the mystery, even if the main suspect is a ghost. If they don’t, then the museum may close and Bones certainly doesn’t want to be put into storage.

Sherlock Bones is a tawny frogmouth and Watts is a blue Indian ringneck parrot. Both are exhibits in the state Natural History Museum. Bones is, well, bones and Watts is stuffed, so while Bones knows what she says, the reader doesn’t. They’re joined by Grace the raccoon, who is very much alive and in need of chocolate. You’ll also meet Mickey who, you guessed it, is a mouse.

This is a really fun read. I loved the humour, which was appropriate for both adults and children. There’s some enjoyable slapstick humour but there are also some more subtle smiles that adults will appreciate. I loved the jar containing a herring that’s beside one containing a red herring. You’ll also stumble upon some accidental learning, with interesting facts included that don’t detract from the story.

This is a highly illustrated chapter book. I would encourage you to look closely at all of the pictures because there are clues scattered throughout the illustrations that will help you solve the mystery. I also liked discovering other elements that, while not part of the mystery, were interesting, including a hermit crab checking out suitable replacements for its shell.

I particularly loved that this book was written and illustrated by a fellow Australian. Okay, so she was born in America but she moved to Australia in 2007 so I’m claiming her, especially since the focus in the book was on Australian animals. There’s also the requisite “Blimey!”

I can’t tell you how much I loved that the main character was a tawny frogmouth. We have a tawny frogmouth couple who either hang out on our clothes line or hunt in our front yard most nights and I adore them!

I really hope this book is the first in a series because I need to know what mystery Sherlock Bones and Watts will investigate next.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the wonderful surprise in the mail today. I love book competitions! I read an advanced proof copy and I hope nothing changes prior to publication.

Oh, and while I’m just a tad outside of the age range for this book’s target audience, that doesn’t stop me from feeling pretty darn proud of myself for finding the clues and solving the mystery before Sherlock Bones and Watts did. 😜

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Hi there, I’m Sherlock Bones.

Who is Sherlock Bones, you ask? Well, I don’t like to brag, but my trusty side-kick Watts says I’m the greatest detective in our whole museum. 

Don’t you, Watts? 

Watts … ?

You might not be able to hear Watts, because he’s technically a stuffed parrot, but I always know what he’s thinking.

And right now he’s thinking: Can we solve the mystery of the missing Blue Diamond and save the Museum of Natural History, before it’s too late?

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That’s Where I Find You – Norliah Syer

Illustrations – Matt Howorth

Matt Howorth’s Illustrations are everything in this book. They really made me feel the young girl’s grief, her determination to find a way to connect with her mother and the love they shared in the girl’s memories.

Grief is such a difficult thing for anyone to cope with, let alone a child who may not even really understand what death means, so books like this are so important. I love the sentiment that when you’re missing a loved one and they feel far away you can look inside your heart and feel closer to them by remembering the good times you shared.

While I loved the message I found some of the rhymes quite clunky. Some rhymes worked well but others didn’t work at all for me, for example, rhyming “be” with “countries”, “clouds” with “down”, and “glide” with “by”. Because of its tendency to sometimes rhyme and sometimes not I imagine it would sound awkward if I read this aloud.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

That’s Where I Find You is a heartfelt story about remembering a loved one. A beautiful reminder that no matter how much we might miss them, they’ll always be with us … in our hearts.

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Queen Celine – Matt Shanks

Celine is an ordinary girl but when she goes to the sea she becomes Queen of her kingdom. After chasing away its current rulers (a flock of seagulls) Celine decides to build a fortress to protect her subjects. She wants things to remain the same but when the tide cannot enter her kingdom it loses “its sparkle”. Now Celine needs to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.

Celine’s royal attire includes a very cool duck inflatable float ring. I loved the illustrations, all of which include plenty of detail to appreciate. All of the sea life are very expressive. My favourite background detail shows a seagull making a fish walk the plank.

This is a sweet picture book that is told quite simply but covers a lot of ground. Celine admits she was wrong, learns from her mistake and takes the steps she needs to to fix the problem. Celine’s story shows that everyone is happier and there’s more capacity for fun when everyone is included. There’s also an ecological message.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Celine Beaufort was an ordinary girl. 
She did ordinary things, 
On ordinary days, 
In ordinary ways. 
But every now and then, Celine was a Queen, Of a kingdom by the sea. 

Celine Beaufort is queen of what she is quite certain is the most beautiful rock pool in the world. It’s perfect. And to make sure nothing ever changes, she decides to build a wall around it. Unfortunately, that turns out to be a royal mistake. As self-proclaimed ruler, it’s up to Celine to right her wrong and restore her rock pool to its former glory, this time with everyone welcome.

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