The Boy Who Lost Fairyland

Infant troll Hawthorn is raised by a human couple in early-twentieth-century Chicago. He lives an unhappy life as "Thomas" until meeting fellow changeling Tamburlaine; the pair blunders their way back into Fairyland. Hawthorn/Thomas, an outsider in the human world and Fairyland alike, provides a perspective on both worlds that's by turns funny and poignant. Spot art captures the bizarre beauty of characters and settings.

Previous series entries (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, rev. 5/11, and sequels) followed human girl September’s adventures in Fairyland; here, Valente introduces a new protagonist and real-world setting. Hawthorn, an infant troll, is taken from his cradle by the Red Wind and shipped to a human couple in early-twentieth-century Chicago. He lives an unhappy, bewildered life as “Thomas” until Tamburlaine, a fellow Changeling, reveals her magical abilities and encourages him to find his own. The pair -- accompanied by a stuffed toy wombat and a gramophone, both come to life -- blunder their way back into Fairyland. But as September’s experiences showed, Fairyland is a dark place, and the two Changelings are horrified to learn about the mistreatment of their human counterparts. Meanwhile, King Charlie Crunchcrab longs to abdicate and begs for their help. Hawthorn/Thomas, an outsider in the human world and Fairyland alike, provides a perspective on both worlds that’s by turns funny and poignant; his rules for being “Normal” and his “Laws of the Kingdom of School” are particularly spot-on. Valente’s Fairyland is as bizarre and beautiful as ever, with a Wonderland-like un-logic that will keep readers both delighted and slightly off-balance. Juan’s spot art captures the characters and settings in all their strange glory. katie bircher