Newbery Honor author Margi Preus (Village of Scoundrels) riffs on Norwegian folk stories in her adventurous, wildly creative cli-fi fairy tale Windswept.
In a world ravaged by climate disaster, children under the age of 15 are "not allowed Outside" for fear of being "windswept" and disappearing forever. Seven years ago, Tagalong watched her rule-breaking sisters sneak Outside and vanish in "an angry whirl of snow." Now 13-year-old Tagalong, equipped with a book of fairy tales outlawed by the "Powers-That-Be," joins four other children and a dog called Blue Tooth on a quest into the Unknown to rescue their windswept siblings.
Armando Veve's detailed, whimsical illustrations bring added enchantment to this quest through the wild remains of a fallen civilization. Preus ingeniously marries classic fairy tale devices with modern-day climate fears, lightened with plenty of humor. This delightful story of mystery and magic should tempt fantasy fans. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth experience manager, Dayton Metro Library