The girl who circumnavigated Fairyland in a ship of her own making

Twelve-year-old September is lonely and bored in Omaha where there are no adventures to be had. When the Green Wind turns up at her window on a leopard that flies, she accepts his invitation to go to Fairyland. But all is not well in this magical world; now ruled by the Marquess who shackles creatures in chains and demands her laws be followed. Being a good and kind girl, she soon offers to retrieve a spoon that was stolen, a spoon that is now in the possession of the Marquess.

There’s a little bit of Narnia and a dash of Oz in this otherwise original and creative fairytale. It’s full of charm and the most amazing, fantastical creatures. In fine fantasy adventure style, September is on a journey which leads her to strange lands and even stranger people. It feels like a fine fairytale for grown-ups (though younger readers with good reading skill will also be charmed, I’m sure).

My favourite characters included A-Through-L (Ell for short) the Wyverary; that’s a cross between a wyvern and a library. Though Ell had only read from A to L and therefore couldn’t answer questions on subjects starting M to Z. Also the soap golem, whose story is so sad but also gives September some wise advice like to not be ashamed of her naked body. I loved the fact that the story included some great morals that weren’t preachy and felt just like part of the story.

Oh that little lantern. It was so expressive in its simplicity and I felt so much for it. There are so many characters it feels like it should be too many, but somehow it all works. Each had their part and the style meant they didn’t need to be fully evolved individuals.

I liked that it looked at fairytales from different sides. Does anyone stop to think what happens to those children who stumble into other worlds only to have to go back to their monochrome lives? It cannot be an easy psychological adjustment. Especially if, like the children of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, you’ve grown into adults while you were gone, only to be thrust back into children’s bodies.

If anyone tries to tell you girls don’t have adventures, give them The Girl Who Navigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It’s simply wonderful.

This is the sort of book I wish I'd grown up on. It's lush, and vivid, and strange -- as if The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland and Narnia were all mixed up together, plus a dose of Mirrormask and Spirited Away.

It's a story about a brave and intelligent little girl named September who journeys to Fairyland in order to escape the drabness of everyday life in 1940s Omaha Nebraska. Once there, however, she discovers that Fairyland has been taken over by a probably-evil Marquess bent on bringing rigid and nonsensical (in other words, Earth-style) rules into Fairyland. Flying creatures have had their wings bound, alchemy has become a forbidden practice for everyone except Spriggans and people born on Tuesday. September's guide, the Green wind, is prevented by these rules from entering Fairyland, so from her arrival she's on her own, navigating the rules and whims of an unfamiliar world.

An exuberant book, bursting with wyverns and witches, punk gnomes, cities spun from yarn and golems made of soap. Plus one kind, capricious, and extremely direct narrator. I recommend this book to any and all age groups, since every one should be able to find something to love inside of it.