PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This is part of the very popular Kingdoms and Empires series - though it is not at all necessary to have read any of the other titles, as they all stand alone and are complete adventures. Lillian lives with her strict and rather unloving grandmother, and is not allowed to mingle with any of the local children. So it is rather surprising that on her 10th birthday, Lillian is presented with a jar of coins that turn out to buy wishes! They whisk her away to a different time and place, and the people she meets there are all in different types of danger - but for the first time in her life, Lillian makes friends and is able to help. And that will be the saving of her, when she is in peril herself! A big and satisfying read, full of adventure, magic, imagination and quiet lessons on friendship, hope and remaining true. Lindy
Jaclyn Moriarty is the internationally bestselling author of novels for children, young adults and sometimes slightly older adults, including the (lengthily-titled) books in the Kingdoms and Empires series: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere, and now, The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet. Jaclyn's books have been translated into several languages, won the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Aurealis Award and named as CBCA Honour Book and Boston Globe/Hornbook Honor book. They have also been short-listed for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the Nebula Prize and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People. A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She is very fond of blueberries, chocolate and ice skating.
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- This is part of the very popular Kingdoms and Empires series - though it is not at all necessary to have read any of the other titles, as they all stand alone and are complete adventures. Lillian lives with her strict and rather unloving grandmother, and is not allowed to mingle with any of the local children. So it is rather surprising that on her 10th birthday, Lillian is presented with a jar of coins that turn out to buy wishes! They whisk her away to a different time and place, and the people she meets there are all in different types of danger - but for the first time in her life, Lillian makes friends and is able to help. And that will be the saving of her, when she is in peril herself! A big and satisfying read, full of adventure, magic, imagination and quiet lessons on friendship, hope and remaining true. Lindy
'What an achievement this book is. It's impossibly good (excuse the pun) and I loved it.Complex and clever, Lillian Velvet's adventure through time is expertly plotted and a joy to read. Book by book, the Kingdoms and Empires continue to become more enchanting, their deep history building on itself each time a reader is lucky enough to visit them.You can't help but fall in love with Jaclyn Moriarty's characters, and Lillian Velvet in particular is possibly the most charming hero yet. She's won my heart.' Reece Carter, bestselling author of A Girl Called Corpse Readers will have a hard time closing this book as they race to discover whether Lillian is the one pulling the threads apart or the only one who can knit them back together...quirky, charming characters, and richly developed themes of friendship and family...A must-have for any middle grade collection with fantasy lovers, and those who enjoy the likes of Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and Lemony Snicket.' School Library Journal 'In the nostalgic fantasy novel The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet, a child gains friendships and fresh insights about herself through extraordinary interdimensional travels ... Kaleidoscopic ... Anenticing story - one made more so by Lillian's meta-reflections on the nature of storytelling and how ineffectual she feels as a heroine who keeps being whisked away before she's able to perform any true heroics.' Foreword Reviews (US)
