The first novel in a gripping trilogy about 11-year-old Midge and her discovery of the Various, a tribe of fairies whose livelihood and existence is becoming increasingly threatened. A gritty and captivating story of courage and strength against terrible odds, this is the story of Midge, left to stay with her eccentric uncle during the holidays, and her adventures with the Various, a band of fairies. The existence of the Various, who are strange, wild, and sometimes even deadly, has been kept secret since the beginning of time. But when their world begins to clash with the human world, they are threatened with extinction. This wonderfully imaginative story of love and loyalty is the first in a powerful trilogy that readers won't be able to put down. "From the Hardcover edition." Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Mill Farm, an old family homestead whose lands have recently gone up on the auction block, turns out to be the ancient home of a panoply of magical beings, in British author/illustrator Augarde's rich and atmospheric fairy tale, the first in a trilogy. Twelve-year-old Midge goes to stay in the country with her eccentric Uncle Brian while her emotionally distant mother, a classical musician, tours with an orchestra. Midge quickly adapts to rural life, and as she explores a dilapidated barn, she discovers a winged horse pinned under a piece of farm machinery. She rescues the creature, who reveals himself as Pegs, one of the Various, and the horse tells her of the multiple races of fairies living in the dense forest nearby-the same forest that Uncle Brian plans to sell for development. Pegs brings Midge before the assembled fairies to allow her to warn them that their homeland is at risk, but many among them do not trust humans ("Gorji"). In Augarde's tale, the fairies struggle with divisiveness and racism just as humans do. His language bubbles with an adventurousness befitting a bright-eyed 12-year-old as he explores this society's caste system and power plays. The author ably balances moments of drama with large doses of humor, such as the character of the clueless fairy queen, Ba-betts. Augarde unfolds the events gradually, allowing readers to luxuriate in the near-idyllic setting he has created and beckoning them back for future installments. Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 5-7ûIn this inventive and unusual fantasy, Midge, 11, is staying on her uncle's farm while her violinist mother is on tour. She is drawn into a disused barn by the "sound" of words inside her headûthe voice of a small winged horse, one of the fairy folk, or "the Various," as they call themselves. She becomes involved in their dramas and adventures as she tries to ensure that their Forest, which her uncle plans to sell to a developer, remains safe for them to live in. Augarde's fairies are very much of this world: concrete and well realized in all of their physical details, down to their tattered clothes made from scraps of fabric. The climactic scene is exciting, and the one in which one of the Various shoots an arrow into the gigantic and fierce farmyard cat and kills it is powerfully visceral. There is an air of contrivance in the story's resolution, however, as it is through events in the adult world of Midge's family that the Forest is saved. This is somewhat anticlimactic, as the efforts of the Various to save themselves turn out to have been unnecessary. Midge's character is clearly delineated, but other human characters are less well developed. The strength of the novel lies in the sense of atmosphere, and the portrayal of the fairy characters, particularly Pegs, the winged horse. There are plot elements that do not come to fruition, which might indicate that a sequel is planned.ûSue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 4-8. Like the little folk of fairy lore, the Various are knee-high beings rarely glimpsed by humans, but they aren't ethereal, carefree sprites. Confined by human encroachment to a single patch of English forest, they eke out a hardscrabble existence. When a 12-year-old human girl, Midge, learns of the Various and brings news that developers may be bulldozing their refuge, Midge is the first target of the tribes' panicked violence. Augarde provides plenty of details to tickle the imagination--from a tiny, mystical winged horse and a missing talisman that may have been stolen by Midge's great-aunt to tremors of a coming shakedown within the Various' unfair caste system. Painstakingly crafted right down to dialects spoken by the tribes, this sweeping fantasy will engross fans of the little people genre (think The Borrowers) as well as works such as Watership Down, which open a window to a previously unimagined society in peril. Hints that Midge and the Various have not yet seen the last of each other will gratify children aching for answers to the many unresolved questions. JenniferMattson. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.