The Changelings

Gr 4–6—The only interesting part of 12-year-old Izzy's new town is that her neighbor might be a witch. Izzy, who loves fantasy and fairy tales, would love a little magic in her life. When her younger sister, Hen, is lured into the forest by enchanted music, Izzy's dreams turn nightmarish. After frantically searching the forest, she finds herself in Faerie and must decide whether to trust a mismatched group of Changelings to save her sister, all while discovering there are greater forces and mysteries at play. This well-paced novel full of likable characters will attract fantasy lovers, especially those interested in fairies. Readers will enjoy the balance among action scenes, quieter periods of character interaction, and rich descriptions of Faerie. Izzy and her friends could be more fully developed but overall are interesting. The concept of the Changelings—and why they're important to keeping Faerie and Earth connected—is explained in bits with an enticing air of mystery that will keep readers engaged, and an additional final surprise puts the remaining pieces in place.