The School Between Winter and Fairyland: A Middle Grade Fantasy About a Servant, a Missing Twin, and the Chosen One for Children (Ages 8-12)

A fresh and exciting twist on magical boarding schools, the well-loved Chosen One trope, and the nature of true heroism―from the author of The Language of Ghosts and Ember and the Ice Dragons. Perfect for fans of middle grade fantasies including the Serafina series by Robert Beatty and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. 

Twelve-year-old Autumn Malog is a servant at the enchanting Inglenook School, where young magicians study to become the king’s future monster-hunters. Along with her Gran and three too many older brothers, she works as a beastkeeper, tending to Inglenook’s menagerie of terrifying monsters.

But when she isn’t mucking out the wyvern stalls or coaxing the resident boggart to behave, Autumn searches for clues about her twin brother’s mysterious disappearance. Everyone else thinks he was devoured by the feared Hollow Dragon, but Autumn is convinced she’s heard―and glimpsed―him calling to her from within the castle walls. But who will believe a lowly servant?

So when Cai Morrigan, the “Chosen One” prophesied to one day destroy the Hollow Dragon, comes to her for help, Autumn agrees on one condition: Together, they’ll search for her brother and uncover the dark truth at the heart of enchanting Inglenook School once and for all.

• Secrets of a Magic School: At the enchanting Inglenook School, the real danger isn't in the monster menagerie. It's hidden within the castle walls, and servant girl Autumn is determined to expose it.
• A Brave Girl Hero: While everyone else has given up, twelve-year-old Autumn is the only one who believes her twin brother, Winter, is still alive and needs her help.
• An Unlikely Alliance: To find her brother, Autumn must team up with Cai Morrigan, the school's celebrated "Chosen One," who has his own dangerous secrets to protect.
• The Power of Sibling Bonds: A heartfelt quest driven by a sister's unwavering belief that her twin is still out there, perfect for readers who love stories about family and courage.