The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two

January 6, 2014
In this third installment in Valente’s ongoing series, 14-year-old heroine September is patiently waiting until she can leave the real world behind and return to Fairyland, her friends there, and their magical adventures. When she finally gets back to Fairyland, she finds herself a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and on a mission that will take her all the way to the moon. As narrator, Valente capably captures September’s character. Her reading has a lyrical—almost hypnotic—quality to it, and listeners will appreciate her restrained but effective vocal interpretations of the characters. And while her voice is more mature sounding than that of her young protagonist, fans of the series—both young and old—will doubtlessly find this a fun listen. Ages 10-14. A Feiwel & Friends hardcover.

Starred review from September 15, 2013
In this luscious sequel to The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (2012), the heroine who twice saved Fairyland returns to save it again and discover her heart's desire. Home in Omaha, September wears her memories of Fairyland "like a shawl of fabulous gems" and awaits her 14th birthday, certain the winds will return her to Fairyland but a bit fearful Fairyland may not want her because she's been "trying so hard to be a grown-person." Then the Blue Wind arrives and winks "her out of the world like a firefly." This time, September just wants to be in Fairyland, but she once again assumes the role of heroine by agreeing to carry a box to the Whelk of the Moon and confront the giant Yeti who's causing pieces of the Moon to crash onto Fairyland. Reunited with friends Ell the Wyverary and Saturday the Marid, September finally follows her heart as her lunar adventuring ends. Richly layered imagery draws deeply from the fairy-tale canon as well as Valente's imagination, while the omniscient narrator adds entertaining social commentary and droll philosophical asides. Like September, readers may leave their hearts in Fairyland. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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November 1, 2013

Gr 5-9-At 14, September is worried that she is too old to go back to Fairyland to see her only true friends, and, when she finally hitches an illegal ride with the Blue Wind, she finds herself labeled a criminal. She journeys to the Moon in her old car, which seems to have come alive on its trip into Fairyland, and finds her old friends, Ell the Wyverary and the Marid boy Saturday, and they set off to stop the horrible Yeti, Ciderskin, from destroying the Moon and the myriad peoples who inhabit its large surface. Along the way, they meet creatures and landscapes that provide them with stories and advice. Bothered by the phrase, "what others call you, you become," September is even more unsure of who she is meant to be. When the friends finally encounter the Yeti, she is ready to challenge his awful deeds. Instead, he presents himself in a sympathetic light. Soon she feels the pull of the real world drawing her back. In desperation, she begs to stay and the cruel Blue Wind honors her decision, with dire consequences. Valente has once again done a masterful job of creating the richly realized world of Fairyland as well as aptly continuing September's confused and stumbling journey to adulthood. This series, for it must be read as a series, is a worthy addition to any collection. Both children and adults will find the adventure and narration both thrilling and nostalgic in their own ways as September learns to "call yourself what you wish to become."-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2013
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Plucky September makes her way back to Valente's marvelous, mesmerizing fairyland, following her previous trip, in The Girl Who Fell beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (2012). But this time, she's a seasoned traveler: a bit older, a bit wiser, and ready to start acting like the 14-year-old young lady she's expected to be. September swoops into fairyland, along with her growing-flashier-by-the-minute Model A Ford, and discovers a land so beset by rules and regulations that she must receive an official professionshe's named royal scofflaw, professional revolutionary, and criminal of the realm prior to entering. But before she can get to adventuring, she's tasked with delivering a package to the moon, which has begun to shudder and shake with moonquakes because a terrible yeti is trying to break it to pieces. September and her friends traverse the moon, meet their fates, encounter older and younger versions of themselves, and wonder what, exactly, makes them who they areall while trying to find the speedy yeti and stop him from his destructive plans. As usual, Valente enlightens readers with pearly gleams of wisdom about honesty, identity, free will, and growing up. September often worries who she should be and what path she should follow, but the lovely truth, tenderly told, is that it's all up to her. Thanks to a dramatic cliff-hanger ending, there is sure to be more empowerment and whimsy to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)