The Fairy Rebel

May 1, 2003
A trio of titles by Lynne Reid Banks, author of The Indian in the Cupboard, makes a reappearance. For I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, illus. by Terry Riley, "Banks has slipped into the hide of the hamster and seems to understand these small creatures completely, creating a tantalizing journey," wrote PW when the book was released in the U.S. in 1988. "The title tells all: slightly pompous, no slouch when it comes to vocabulary, and with a gift for dry humor, Houdini relates the story of his acquisition by a family and the trial runs and trouble spots that turn him into a great escapologist." In The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. by Victor Ambrus, readers meet 14-year-old Dakin, who at age 10 set herself three goals: to go to the farthest-away mountain, to see a gargoyle, and to marry a prince. She hears a voice from the mountain calling her, and her quest is set in motion. When The Fairy Rebel was published in America in 1988, PW called it a "comfortable, old-fashioned read" about the "naughty but courageous" fairy Tiki, who defies her queen to give a childless couple a baby. A fierce conflict ensues when the fairy ruler tries to exact revenge.