In nine enticing stories, Canadian author Tim Wynne-Jones introduces readers to young characters who are memorable not for their cuteness or precocity, but for their quirkiness, their tenderness, their integrity and their humor. The imaginative stories cast a spell of enchantment, yet there is no mystery or magic involved. Instead, the powerful sense of wonder they evoke comes from the author's deep appreciation for the humor, creativity, energy and imagination of children, and his ability to turn the childhood feelings of difference and alienation into a source of strength and comfort, and a means of connection. (Ages 10-14)