More Than Magic: Secret Friends to the Rescue

Magic and reality collide in Lasky’s (the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series) humorous Cinderella-esque tale. Eleven-year-old Ryder is stunned when her soft-spoken, widowed father tells her that he has found happiness with a manipulative woman named Bernice. In the midst of Ryder’s angst, Rory, the animated star of Ryder’s parents’ successful TV show, jumps out of the screen and into Ryder’s bedroom pleading for help. Script changes to a planned film are transforming the brave, fierce heroine—who, as an animated character, lacks free will—into an older, curvier, wand-wielding princess scheduled to be married to a hapless prince. “How can you kick butt with a wand that isn’t even magic?” Ryder gripes. Narration rotates among several characters, and as Ryder and Rory join forces to find allies in both the real and animated worlds, they begin to learn that there is more to each of them than meets the eye. Ryder’s courage and humor in the face of adversity will captivate readers as Lasky explores friendship, family, and the pressures that society puts on girls. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)