What I'm Reading: Catherynne M. Valente, Fairyland Series

By now, readers should be well aware of my fondness for books written for children. I just finished The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, and I was enchanted by it. It's one of the oldest tales in the world--a quest--but it's written from the absolutely believable perspective of a 12-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska. The voice and the use of fantasy elements makes the story fresh. And the illustrations are delightful, too. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.