"Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic without even realizing it."
Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman's purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house. Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who's particularly competitive at hopscotch – and a hideous troll housekeeper who's emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break – and if she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return...
"A Diana Wynne Jones-ish adventure fizzing with imagination. Such fun – I loved it!" – Sinead O'Hart
"A wonder-filled book that revels in magic and mayhem." – Abi Elphinstone
"Wildly imaginative and relentlessly entertaining. It is a story like no other and I absolutely adored it!" – David Walliams
1 of 2 copies available
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
January 7, 2021 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781406399905
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781406399905
- File size: 13385 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 5.1
- Lexile® Measure: 680
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3-4
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Reviews
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December 16, 2024
Orphaned thief Nine, having run afoul of gang-master Pockets, who runs her financially insecure neighborhood, plots to steal a valuable item that would raise her social standing. What she acquires is a highly detailed miniature house with odd corners, pointy spires, and a “slightly wonky” chimney. “What would it be like to live in a house, instead of Pockets’s stinking nest,” Nine wonders, flicking
the tiny door knocker of her new treasure, which magically grows before her eyes. Upon entering the now life-size abode,
she meets wizard Flabberghast, his troll housekeeper Eric, and small, sentient spoon knight Dr. Spoon, who’ve waited years for someone to break a curse put upon them by an evil witch. To incentivize her help, Flabberghast offers a “jewel of immense monetary value” that can help her escape Pockets for good. Nine resolves to lift the curse and stop the witch in this series kickoff by British author Sparkes, who taps into the joy and suspense of a
hidden world through the eyes of a down-on-her-luck heroine. Chapter-opening illustrations by Mantle (Bunnies on the Bus) enhance the whimsy of this adventureful tale about found family and self-reliance. Human characters are described with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Julia Churchill, A.M. Heath. Illustrator’s agent: Susan Penny, Bright Agency.
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