Overview
Now available in paperback with gorgeous new cover art!
A captivating story of courage and strength against terrible odds, this is the story of Midge, left to stay with her eccentric uncle during the holidays, and her adventures with the Various, a band of fairies. The existence of the Various, who are strange, wild, and sometimes even deadly, has been kept secret since the beginning of time, but when their world begins to clash with the human world, they are threatened with extinction.
This wonderfully imaginative story of love and loyalty is the first in a powerful trilogy. VOYA says of The Various: “A marvelous blend of oldfashioned storytelling, the book has a freshness and immediacy that will intrigue fantasy lovers of all ages.”
“A rousing addition to the durable genre of British fairy lit.”—New York Times
“Augarde unfolds the events gradually, allowing readers to luxuriate in the near-idyllic setting he has created and beckoning them back for future installments.”—Publishers Weekly
While staying on her uncle's rundown farm in the Somerset countryside, twelve-year-old Midge discovers that she has a special connection to the Various, a tribe of "strange, wild--and sometimes deadly" fairies struggling to maintain their existence in the nearby woods.
Synopsis
Now available in paperback with gorgeous new cover art!
A captivating story of courage and strength against terrible odds, this is the story of Midge, left to stay with her eccentric uncle during the holidays, and her adventures with the Various, a band of fairies. The existence of the Various, who are strange, wild, and sometimes even deadly, has been kept secret since the beginning of time, but when their world begins to clash with the human world, they are threatened with extinction.
This wonderfully imaginative story of love and loyalty is the first in a powerful trilogy. VOYA says of The Various: “A marvelous blend of oldfashioned storytelling, the book has a freshness and immediacy that will intrigue fantasy lovers of all ages.”
“A rousing addition to the durable genre of British fairy lit.”—New York Times
“Augarde unfolds the events gradually, allowing readers to luxuriate in the near-idyllic setting he has created and beckoning them back for future installments.”—Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
PW called this tale set on Mill Farm, an old family homestead that turns out to be the ancient home of a panoply of magical beings, a "rich and atmospheric fairy tale." Ages 10-up. (Dec.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
“A rousing addition to the durable genre of British fairy lit.”—New York Times“Augarde unfolds the events gradually, allowing readers to luxuriate in the near-idyllic setting he has created and beckoning them back for future installments.”—Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
PW called this tale set on Mill Farm, an old family homestead that turns out to be the ancient home of a panoply of magical beings, a "rich and atmospheric fairy tale." Ages 10-up. (Dec.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Throughout history and across cultures, people's imaginations have often been ignited by the idea that the earth is populated by "little people." Steve Augarde builds on this intriguing idea in this first novel of what promises to be an exciting trilogy. Eleven-year-old Midge, whose mother is a professional musician, leaves her for the summer in the care of her uncle, who lives on an old farmstead in the English country. What had promised to be a very boring summer was suddenly enlivened when Midge discovered a small, wounded horse. The story shifts back and forth between Midge's adventure with the horse and the struggles of the five tribes of little people called "The Various." Eventually, of course, the two stories come together as the Various fight for their survival in the land of the "Gorgi," which is their word for the human giants who are taking more and more of their land. Augarde is a professional educator who has written over seventy children's books and who has produced artwork and music for two BBC children's series. He brings to his writing a keen understanding of the thinking, joys and fears of children, making this story one that will be hard to put down! The only disadvantage is that we have to wait for the sequels. 2004, David Fickling Books/Random House, Ages 10 to 14.—Kathy Egner, Ph.D.
VOYA
This first story in a planned trilogy, a Nestle Smarties prizewinner, harks back to the classic fairy stories collected by Andrew Lang, with a bit of Natalie Babbitt's characters in the beautiful, wild Somerset Levels. Twelve-year-old Midge's glamorous mother is on tour with the orchestra, and Midge must make the best of staying with Mum's brother on the family farm. Exploring the deep woods nearby, Midge makes a startling discovery-five tribes of "little people, fairies," whose secret existence has always been threatened by humans, or "Gorji." But if Uncle Brian follows through on his plan to sell the land, they might be destroyed for good. A marvelous blend of old-fashioned storytelling, the book has a freshness and immediacy that will intrigue fantasy lovers of all ages. Readers will sympathize with the sad and dumpy little fairy queen, cheer the fragile and gutsy winged horse, and root for the star-crossed small lovers as they wonder how Midge and her cousins will save the Various, when the tribes seem determined to work against their own best interests. Augarde, who has illustrated more than seventy picture books and animated several BBC series, should garner a built-in audience for the next books. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, David Fickling Books/Random House, 448p., Ages 12 to 18.—Mary Arnold