A Sliver of Stardust

Gr 4–7—Wren and Simon, two homeschooled 11-year-olds vying for the top prize at the Science Olympiad, are brought together by magic (invisible giant birds, shimmering dust, and cryptic nursery rhymes) and invited to join The Fiddlers, a centuries-old organization of stardust-wielding magicians still trying to recover from the actions of a traitorous apprentice named Boggen, who is responsible for much death and destruction in his search for a magical key. They are made apprentices themselves, and taken to the Crooked House to be trained. There they discover that Mother Goose rhymes are more than just childish entertainment, experience friendship and betrayal, and, of course, save the universe. This is mostly Wren's story–she's a pretty normal girl with plenty of smarts and unusual magic, but things do not come easily for her. The rest of the gang, including Jack and Jill (who are not related in this version) are less well defined, and the adults, with rare exceptions, are mere background. There is some violence, including the destruction of an entire flock of birds. An open-ended finale leaves the stage set for further adventures.