LOSING THE PLOT BY ANNALEISE BYRD

Terry Clegg and Basil Beedon are not naturally two boys who’d become friends. Terry is sporty and Basil, bookish. So, when Basil’s father arranges for him to help Terry with his reading, both boys prepare for some seriously boring Saturdays. Terry brings along the first book he grabs from his grandmother’s book shelf which happens to be The Complete Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, and that’s when it gets anything but boring.

The boys are drawn into the fairy tale land that lies behind every story. The administrative hub of all things fairy tale-ish. Yunions, princesses and meandering VAGUELYs. Hansel has disappeared, and Gretel must find him before morning when the wicked witch is scheduled to be pushed into the oven. Each fairy tale, she explains, runs through from start to finish on an endless loop and nothing must change or there’ll be untold trouble. The boys and Gretel embark on a hunt for Hansel, hoping they will find him in time. They meet characters from different stories and see them in a totally different light to their usual personas.

Annaleise Byrd has created a delightful imagining of what lies behind the well known and loved, world of fairy tales. Basil and Terry who are opposites in every way, realise friendships are not based on preconceptions and that together they make a great team.

This is a fun adventure that readers who enjoyed Spellhound by Lian Tanner and The Fix-It Princess by Janeen Brian will love.

 For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 135

Published: March 2024 Walker Books Australia

Themes: Friendship, family, fantasy

Purchase here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/losing-the-plot-annaleise-byrd/book/9781760656409.html