Of Giants and Ice (Ever Afters)

"In the frothy launch of the Ever Afters series, sixth-grader Rory Landon receives much unwanted attention as a result of her divorced celebrity parents and her perpetual status as the new kid. But when she's recruited by the Ever After School, where no one knows her family and fairy tales are recreated, she feels like her life is beginning. Rory immediately establishes her capability by rescuing a girl from a dragon and meets characters like Rumpelstiltskin, the librarian; Hansel, the sword-fighting instructor; and Sleeping Beauty, the Director. Despite Rory's ominous dreams and the knowledge that tales can be 'failed' (meaning people die), she embarks on a journey into 'Jack and the Beanstalk' with two other 'Characters-in-training': Lena, an aspiring inventor, and Chase, a cocky son of a legend. Bach's premise is entertaining, and her storytelling offers charming details — particularly as the students tackle iconic obstacles (such as climbing the beanstalk). The laundry list of fairy tales and characters involved, though, results in an adventure that can feel cluttered. Ages 8 — 12. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary and Media. (July)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Shelby Bach grew up reading every book she could find and writing stories in battered notebooks. She also rarely came home with a clean shirt and had a lot of accidents that ended with a hunt for Band-Aids. Nowadays, she writes on her laptop rather than in a notebook, but not much else has changed. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.