Estranged

May 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Edmund, a fae, was switched at birth with a human Childe. Now living in the World Above, Edmund must keep his magic powers hidden from his human family, with whom he has never fit in, while the Childe, in the World Below, is the fae king and queen's royal pet. But when an evil sorceress threatens the crown, the Childe escapes above ground and enlists Edmund's help to save the World Below. The pair must traverse the dangerous underground realm of monsters, beasts, and dark magic to protect both their worlds. This switched-at-birth, coming-of-age fantasy doesn't break new ground, but it's executed well. Themes such as finding one's place and meeting friends and family in unexpected ways will speak to middle grade readers. Each location has a distinct style, color, and feel that give the surrounding characters depth, suggesting that this is just one story in a world of many. Small details in the backgrounds and hints in dialogue amplify the sense of mystery. VERDICT Worthy of inclusion in any fantasy collection.-Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 28, 2018
Stolen at birth and replaced with a fae changeling, Edmund grows up as a human spectacle, called only the Childe, in the fae World Below. When he escapes a coup that leaves the only family he has ever known dead, he flees to the human world—the World Above—in hopes of finding his changeling, the one true heir to the fae throne. Accompanied by his only friend, Whick, a candlestick golem, the two locate the changeling, who has recently realized that he does not belong in the human world. To navigate a world of assassins and magic and determine who they really are, the two must learn to trust one another and somehow live in each other’s worlds. Newcomer Aldridge delivers a fun, daring, and dark take on the classic switched-at-birth narrative, with themes and art that fall into the realm of Neil Gaiman, Michael Ende, and Jim Henson. Coupled with the beautifully toned watercolor art, the interdependence of and tension between the two protagonists makes this book stand out. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management.

vioka - The book Estrange written by Ethan M. Aldridge. I would really recommend this book because the story is very heart-warming and they finally know their true identities. Edmund and the childe exchanged identities when they were only 1 years old. Edmund's parents wanted to be popular so they exchanged Edmund with the childe when they were young. The childe was always the talk of the town while Edmund lives a peaceful life in the humans world. Edmund knows that he is a changeling, and he has always kept it as a secret. Until one day, Edmund's real parents got in trouble and his aunt took over the kingdom. The childe didn't know what to do, so he set off to find Edmund and decided to tell him about what happened to his real parents. Edmund told the childe that he didn't really cared about his real parents and that they never cared about him and they abandoned him. But Edmund had a older sister that was supposed to be the childe's sister, Alexis. She found out that there was two boys that both looked like her younger brother. So she followed them to the other world. When Alexis went to the other world, she started to cause trouble and got Edmund's and the childe's attention. Edmund and the childe quickly dragged Alexis out of the trouble and explained everything to her. Alexis was really surprised that she has two brothers, except the one that has always been beside him was the changeling. The childe has a golem that has to stay beside him for all times, he protects the childe from any danger. Edmund's real aunt is trying to hunt him down because he is the only one that can take the throne away from her. She ordered her followers to look for him and one of them found Edmund and started to chase after him for a long time. Every time Edmund escapes away from his aunt's follower, it appears suddenly again. But one time they ran into a tunnel and found a cage with a mouse in it, the childe decided to save the poor mouse that has been kept in the cage for a long time. The mouse lead them to a witch that was very sad and thought that they were Edmund's aunt's followers and tried to kill them. But luckily the mouse was fast enough to run all the way to the bracelet that the witch has been wearing. Then suddenly the mouse turned into a human. When the witch saw that and she was very happy because the man that just turned from a mouse into a man was her love. She apologized to them and said that she thought they were Edmund 's aunt;s followers. The witch told them the reason why she hated the queen that mch. It's because the queen took her love to experience the new thing that she had invented, which can turn people into mouse. The witch gave Alexis a knife so that she can protect herself. And she gave Edmund I ring that can block the magics that the queen tries to spell on him. When they arrived at the castle back door, they saw a dragon that was supposed to look after the door and not let anyone get in. They had a plan and decided to separate themselves into two groups so that one of the groups can distract the dragon while another group sneaks into the back door of the castle. The golem that had to follow the childe and protect him from any danger didn't want all those to happen, he thinks that it would be pretty hard to defeat the queen. The childe ordered the golem to go with Edmund and protect him. The golem had to melt the mark on his shoulder before he left the childe because that mark means that the golem has to follow the childe and protect him. But without that mark, the golem can leave the childe. The golem was really royalty to the childe, and he was the only friend of the childe before all those things happened. The...

July 1, 2018
Grades 3-7 In the World Below, the fay king and queen have stolen a human, named Childe, from the World Above and replaced him with a changeling. When the evil Hawthorne takes over the kingdom, Childe has to get out before he's killed. Along with his golem, Whick, Childe escapes to the World Above to find Edmund, the fay living with his family. Things take a turn for the worse when Hawthorne sends a terrifying group of soldiers to kill Edmund, and in the ensuing fight, Edmund's sister, Alexis, finds herself caught up in the drama. Together, the four journey back into the World Below to face off against Hawthorne and her otherworldly army. Aldridge's lavish, fine-lined, painterly artwork makes great work of the fantasy creatures (though there's barely any variety in body shape and skin tone), and the detailed backgrounds, both above and below, cultivate a rich sense of place that will be sure to capture the imaginations of readers. The deliciously captivating start to this adventure series will leave readers hungry for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)