cover image The Night of the Solstice

The Night of the Solstice

L. J. Smith. MacMillan Publishing Company, $14.95 (231pp) ISBN 978-0-02-785840-2

The great sorceress Morgana Shee guards the last pathway between Earth and Wildworld. Only she has the power to pass between both worlds, except on December 21, the winter solstice. Evil Cadal Forge intends to invade Earth on that day, now only two weeks away. Claudia, her brother and two sisters are enlisted to stop him. They each must contribute their skills in order to brave the haunted house wherein the pathway lies, master the magic mirrors and help Morgana close the pathway. In her first novel, Smith realistically balances the children's Earth lives with their fantasy adventure, a story reminiscent of the Narnia tales. The importance of teamwork is revealed to the charactersand to readersas is the value of their individual talents. Ages 10-up. (October)