The Dragon and the Stone (The Dream Keeper Saga #1)

Butler (Between Life and Death, for adults) blends magic and faith in this adventurous series opener. Twelve-year-old Lily McKinley is miserable. Her father died two months ago while on a trip overseas, her grandmother is exhibiting dementia symptoms, her overworked mother is exhausted, and she’s being bullied at school. Lily’s only comfort comes from stories, such as King Arthur and His Knights, and her own imagination. Following the sudden appearance of a dog-size dragon named Cedric in her kitchen, she discovers a teardrop-shaped stone on a chain, which used to be her father’s, tucked in between King Arthur’s pages. Cedric reveals he’s a scout from the Somnium Realm, the land between dreams and the waking world, sent to find Lily, who has inherited her father’s role as a dream keeper, Somnium’s designated protectors. After whisking Lily—and, inadvertently, her bully, Adam Sykes—to the magical realm, the unlikely duo must find a way to get home while being pursued by an ancient evil. Much of this fanciful adventure centers familiar struggles between good and evil, but internal challenges, such as Lily’s palpable grief and her tentative friendship with Adam, provide an emotional backdrop to the philosophical telling. Most characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erik Wolgemuth, Wolgemuth & Assoc. (May)