The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

September is a twelve-year-old girl, Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless, and she longs for adventure. So when a Green Wind and a Leopard of Little Breezes invite her to Fairyland - well, of course, she accepts (mightn't you?). When she gets there, she finds a land crushed by the iron rule of a villainous Marquess - she soon discovers that she alone holds the key to restoring order.

As September forges her way through Fairyland, with a book-loving dragon and a boy named Saturday by her side, she makes many friends and mistakes. But while she loses her shadow, her shoe and her way, she finds adventure, courage, a rather special Spoon, and a lot more besides . . .

“A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom.An Alice in Wonderland for the 21st century... So effortless, so vivid, so funny. Every page has a phrase or observation to savour and her characters are wondrous creations. - Sunday TelegraphA charming modern fairytale...with a knowing twinkle in its eye - TelegraphBundles of imagination and wry wit... This is a sophisticated world of forfeits, paradoxes and tricks. - Financial TimesA mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale - full of oddments, whimsy, and joy.If you haven't heard of Catherynne Valente, give it time. She's only 32, and she's writing at a furious pace. Valente brings fathomless inventiveness to her fiction... A book for young adults, rich and strange enough for grown-ups, too.A whole esoteric world of whimsy - Alice meets the Wizard of Oz meets the Persephone story with a whiff of Narnia. - Independent on Sunday...it is in fact one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy for adults or children so far this century. - Time”

"A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian Fairy Tale, done with heart and wisdom."--Neil Gaiman, Newbery Award-winning author of "The Graveyard Book" "September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic."--Tamora Pierce, author of The Immortals series "A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy tale--full of oddments, whimsy, and joy."--Holly Black, author of "Zombies vs. Unicorns" and "The Spiderwick Chronicles" "When I saw that this book reminds me simultaneously of E. Nesbit, James Thurber, and the late Eva Ibbotson, I don't mean to take anything awy from its astonishing originality. It's a charmer from the first page, managing the remarkable parlay of being at once ridiculously funny and surprisingly suspenseful. Catherynne Valente is a find, at any age!"--Peter S. Beagle, author of "The Last Unicorn" "This is a kind of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by way of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"--it's the sort of book one doesn't want to end."--"Publishers Weekly", Starred Review "[Fairyland creates] a world as bizarre and enchanting as any Wonderland or Oz and a heroine as curious, resourceful and brave as any Alice or Dorothy. Complex, rich and memorable."--"Kirkus Reviews", Starred Review "This book is quite simply a gold mine."--"Booklist", Starred Review "Amusing, wrenching, and thought-provoking."--"The Horn Book"

Catherynne M. Valente began September's adventures in installments on the Web; the project won legions of fans and also the CultureGeek Best Web Fiction of the Decade award. She lives with her husband on an island off the coast of Maine. She has written many novels for adults, but this is her children's book debut.

September is a twelve-year-old girl, Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless, and she longs for adventure. So when a Green Wind and a Leopard of Little Breezes invite her to Fairyland - well, of course, she accepts (mightn't you?). When she gets there, she finds a land crushed by the iron rule of a villainous Marquess - she soon discovers that she alone holds the key to restoring order. As September forges her way through Fairyland, with a book-loving dragon and a boy named Saturday by her side, she makes many friends and mistakes. But while she loses her shadow, her shoe and her way, she finds adventure, courage, a rather special Spoon, and a lot more besides . . .

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