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The Daily Journal of Arabella Crumblestone ISBN: 9780956741301
King, Rose and King, Sharon
Published by Midnight Owl Books, 2010
Arabella is a stone fairy. Evidently there are many kinds of fairies, and we meet several sorts in this novel. Arabella tells her story through a diary, and we learn that she has left her home in a wall and hitched a ride on Leroy, a sheep. When she is found by Faith and her autistic brother, David, she is taken home with them to live in Faith's doll house. This does not suit Arabella's health, and when Faith realises this, she finds a corner for her in the garden. The bulk of the story is about Arabella's adventures and the various other fairies she meets, but there is a consistent theme of David's problems - he hums to himself constantly, doesn't speak, and plays obsessively on a trampoline - and the tensions this causes in the family are apparent. There is a lovely fey quality to this book which will appeal to girls particularly, and Arabella is a feisty but caring fairy. There is a happy ending of sorts - at least David has learned to say one word, and this has given the family some hope. And Arabella goes home to mum. The delicate black and white illustrations are by the author's daughter, Rose, who has Asperger Syndrome.
Age: 9+