SAMUEL BLINK AND THE FORBIDDEN FOREST

No one does what 12-year-old Samuel Blink tells them to. Not his parents, killed by falling logs although he told them to stop their car. Not his grieving sister, who walks off into the forest near their Aunt Eda’s house, although it was explicitly forbidden. The forest, in a remote part of Norway, had already taken their uncle. It’s filled with evil creatures, including trolls, truth pixies, huldres and worse. Samuel finds a book describing them in the (also forbidden) attic of his aunt’s home. Naturally, he has to follow his sister. Also naturally, he discovers the forest’s secrets and the role of the Changemaker, Professor Horatio Tanglewood, who wrote the book. But it takes some adult help and a timely javelin throw to make things right again. The author’s love for the Norwegian setting is evident. A table of contents, intriguing chapter names and occasional authorial warnings add interest. Solid middle-grade adventure with fantasy elements, this would be good even for able young readers who can stomach the early unfortunate event. (Fantasy. 8-12)