This companion to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (2013), set 70 years later, features Lillian as an old woman. She befriends young Sarah Jane, teaching her about the forest ways as well as about the magical folk who live there. One day, Sarah Jane rescues an injured sangman fairy, unwittingly setting off an Otherworld war, which results in Sarah Jane's sisters being kidnapped for ransom. De Lint's lyrical language and folkloric style are well suited to the story, which is more focused than the first book. Full-color line-and-watercolor illustrations (not seen in final form) will be included.

In this stand-alone novel set in the same world as The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, middle sister Sarah Jane and elderly Aunt Lillian inadvertently drag Sarah Jane's sisters into a battle among fairy clans. De Lint maintains distinct personalities for the many human and magical characters, and Vess's detailed illustrations add to the old-fashioned feel of this tale set in modern times.

In this lovely sequel to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, the earlier story's heroine, Lillian, now elderly, still lives in a simple house in a secluded hollow, up in the hills. Strong-willed Sarah Jane lives with her mother and six feisty sisters in the nearest town, but she loves the woods and soon befriends Lillian, who is full of wondrous stories about the local fairies. When Sarah Jane saves the life of a tiny -sangman (ginseng fairy) struck by many tiny arrows, she enters into her own fairy story. The -sangmen, it seems, are at war with the bee fairies, and the two hostile fairy tribes soon take Sarah Jane's sisters hostage, hoping to trade them for the tiny man. Vess's illustrations are gracefully in sync with the storyline, and de Lint fleshes out both major and minor human characters, as well as mythical creatures like Lillian's fairy love, the Apple Tree Man. The lyrical narrative blends a contemporary setting with a fairy tale that might have been plucked from a distinctly different time and place. Ages 8-12. Agent: Russ Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc. (Feb.)

Gr 3&11;7&12; The girl from The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (Little, Brown, 2013) returns as elderly and reclusive Aunt Lillian. This delicious companion novel, set many decades after the first story, features Sarah Jane Dillard (the middle daughter in a family of seven redheaded sisters), who befriends Aunt Lillian and unwittingly gets involved in the fairy world. Sarah Jane tells her parts of the story in first person, while her sisters (two sets of twins and two singletons) weave theirs in third person. When Sarah Jane stumbles upon an injured spirit called a "sangman" and assists him, she angers the bee fairies, who have a longstanding feud with the sangman. Aunt Lillian has always told Sarah Jane stories about fairies and the Apple Tree Man, so she is the one Sarah Jane turns to for help. Soon Sarah Jane's sisters are kidnapped, half by the bee fairies and the other half by the sangmen. Aunt Lillian and Sarah Jane attempt to rescue the girls before they are killed or trapped in the fairy world forever. The sisters each have distinct skills and personalities, which de Lint develops marvelously. In an artist's note, Vess informs readers that his novel was previously published in a limited edition with black-and-white pen-and-ink drawings. Here he has added 26 new illustrations, which are beautifully colored with sepia tones and carefully applied color. After a satisfying conclusion, hints are made that more stories will be forthcoming, possibly with a love interest for Sarah Jane.&12; Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

This captivating adventure from two masters of modern fantasy is a story of magic, family, and the power in believing in both. Sarah Jane has always wanted to meet a fairy, but she has no idea that the tiny wounded man she discovers in the Tanglewood Forest is about to ensnare her in a longtime war between rival magical clans. When her six sisters are kidnapped and split up by the opposing sides, she'll need the help of several friends--from the reclusive Aunt Lillian to the mysterious Apple Tree Man--to bring them home. But if they don't untangle themselves from the feud quickly, they could all be trapped in the fairy world forever. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly noted "the lyrical narrative blends a contemporary setting with a fairy tale that might have been plucked from a distinctly different time and place."