Into the Woods

June 11, 2007
First-time novelist Gardner reinvents the Pied Piper story, imbuing it with plenty of charm. Storm lives with her parents, absent-minded dreamers who “had simply used up all their love on each other and had none left to spare for her.” Older sister Aurora is the de facto head of the house and they are soon joined by baby sister Any (short for Anything). On her deathbed, Storm's mother gives her a tin pipe, with an admonition to “use it wisely and only if you have desperate need.” Meanwhile, the villagers are fed up with a profusion of rats, and a sinister man named Dr. DeWilde is called in to solve the problem. Before long, Dr. DeWilde shows up at the girls' house—where they now live alone, their father having fled the scene—demanding the pipe, which Storm refuses to relinquish. The girls escape into the woods where a series of misadventures separates them from Any; they learn that their sister is being taken to Piper's Peak, where children “become slaves in the Piper's kingdom.” As the girls attempt to rescue Any, Storm learns the pipe's real value, and the doom it would spell should it fall into the evil doctor's hands. Gardner has crafted a fast-paced and entertaining adventure filled with cheeky humor and wordplay; even if the book's playful tone precludes the possibility of a dread ending, it's a blast of a journey. Ages 8-12.

Starred review from June 1, 2007
Gr 5-9-This gothic, wildly adventurous romp through the dream country of fairy tales celebrates the power of sisterhood. The Eden girlsbeautiful, domestic Aurora; bold, reckless Storm; and baby Anylive at Eden End, a dilapidated estate near a rat-infested village in a setting that vaguely resembles rural Victorian England. On her deathbed, their mother bequeaths Storm a pipe, whispering "Beware of its terrible power." A year later, their grief-stricken father departs on a mysterious expedition, leaving a note that warns Aurora to be careful on her 16th birthday. Enter the mysterious, evil Dr. DeWilde. He wants the pipe. He and his ravenous wolves chase the sisters from their home and pursue them across a landscape familiar to readers of European myths, fairy tales, and fantasy. Elements of "The Pied Piper of Hamlin," "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," "The Snow Queen," and many other tales figure in the story. The breathless plot, which pulls readers into an escalating series of dangerous situations, hairbreadth escapes, bitter defeats, and surprising triumphs, is grounded in the realistic personalities of the sisters. As their relationship develops, they appeal to readers as much for their flaws as their strengths. Grey's black-and-white illustrations, interspersed with the text, advance the action. A descendant of Joan Aiken's "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" (Doubleday, 1963) and its sequels, this book is distinguished by a strong, descriptive style. It should have wide appeal as a family read-aloud or absorbing read-alone."Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2007
The middle daughter of benignly neglectful parents, Storm welcomes a baby sister on the same fateful day she loses her mother...and inherits a mysterious pipe coveted by a sinister exterminator named Dr. DeWilde. Pursued, reckless Storm, responsible Aurora, and precocious toddler Anything flee into the woods and the unknown dangers therein. The fully realized fairy-tale plot is just fractured enough to keep readers guessing without sacrificing atmosphere and menace -- and first-time author Gardner skimps on neither. While she draws most heavily on "Hansel and Gretel" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," fragments of other tales are woven throughout, resulting in a layered reworking that embraces the grotesque as well as the fanciful and touches upon an innate wildness in Storm, creating an intriguing thread of sameness in villain and hero. The vivid language is rich with imagery and metaphor that emerge naturally from the familiar pastoral setting but still achieve originality ("Aurora's face curdled"), and Grey's spot art, which infuses conventional images with modern wit, ably matches that tenor. But the sisterly dynamics are what truly animate this offering. Bossy, respon-sible Aurora could easily have been a housework- and hair-obsessed stereotype, but she has a deep-seated nurturing instinct and quiet valor that contrasts nicely with Storm's brash heroics. The push and tug between the two is at once fraught and tender, intensifying the emotional and physical journeys both undertake.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)