Sylva and the Fairy Ball (Fairy Bell Sisters Series #1)

by Margaret McNamara, Julia Denos (Illustrator)

Overview

With Sylva and the Fairy Ball, Margaret McNamara launches the Fairy Bell Sisters, an enchanting new chapter-book series. The books feature Tinker Bell’s little sisters and are a must-read for lovers of the Rainbow Fairies and Disney Fairies stories.

Clara Bell, Golden Bell, Rosy Bell, Sylva Bell, and baby Squeak are fairy sisters who live on Sheepskerry Island. Usually Sylva and her sisters get along just fine—until the week of the Fairy Ball. Sylva has her heart set on going—she’ll get to wear magical diamond wings and walk on beautiful satin ribbons under the stars! But fairies must be at least eight years old to attend, and poor Sylva’s birthday is the day after the ball. But before the night is over, Sylva’s big sisters will need her to come to their rescue.

Charming illustrations by Julia Denos bring the world of fairies to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062228017
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/23/2013
Series:	Fairy Bell Sisters Series , #1
Pages:	109
Sales rank:	813,513
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Margaret McNamara is the Christopher Award-winning author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including the Robin Hill School series. The Fairy Bell Sisters series is inspired not only by her love of the classic sisterhood novel Little Women but by her own experiences growing up with older sisters (and a baby brother). Margaret and her family live in New York City, but they spend part of their summer on an island in Maine very much like Sheepskerry Island.

Julia Denos is the author-illustrator of Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color and the illustrator of several children’s books, including Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo, I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn, Dotty by Erica S. Perl, Grandma’s Gloves by Cecil Castellucci, and Letters to Leo by Amy Hest. Julia currently lives in Boston. You can visit her online at www.juliadenos.com.

Editorial Reviews

This breezy novel opens the Fairy Bell Sisters chapter-book series, which introduces Tinker Bell’s younger siblings. An amiable narrator explains that while Tinker Bell lives in Never Land with Peter Pan, her five sisters live on Sheepskerry Island, “which I believe is not far from where you are right now.” The story focuses on Sylva Bell, who is distraught to learn that she’s too young (by a day) to attend the annual Fairy Ball. Perking up, the well-intentioned fairy decorates her sisters’ gowns—with disastrous results—but redeems herself on the night of the ball. The distinct personality of each sister (including baby Squeak, who has her own language) emerges through lively dialogue. McNamara (a pseudonym for agent Brenda Bowen) fills the pages with whimsical details of fairy life, and her knowing narration (“Let’s not speak of trolls now, while everything’s going so nicely”) gives the story its gentle warmth and humor. Big-hearted Rosy stars in Rosy and the Secret Friend, due simultaneously. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 7–9. Author’s agent: Faith Hamlin, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (May)

Publishers Weekly

McNamara . . . fills the pages with whimsical details of fairy life, and her knowing narration . . . gives the story its gentle warmth and humor.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

12/01/2013
Gr 1–3—Tinker Bell's younger sisters star in this series by a seasoned author. In Fairy Ball, the sisters are making a practice cake for Sylva's eighth birthday the following week, when an invitation for a special fairy ball arrives. Only those eight years or older can attend. Since Sylva can't go, she tries to make her sisters' gowns even more beautiful (to their dismay). When trolls arrive in town in hopes of attaining the Narwhal's Tusk, the young fairy is the only one who takes notice. The siblings' adventures continue in Secret Friend, in which the dangerous Summer People make their appearance. Instead of avoiding them as usual, Rosy befriends a girl named Louisa. A bit on the saccharine side, these titles will appeal to tenderhearted girls who dream of magical places. The books do include some conflict among the sisters, but it is resolved quickly and feels typical of any sibling relationships. Denos's black-and-white illustrations capture sweet moments. Large type and good amounts of white space make these titles appropriate for beginning chapter-book readers. Additional purchases, particularly where fairies are still popular.—Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN

School Library Journal

The first installment in a chapter-book series chronicling the adventures of Tinker Bell's younger sisters. While Tinker Bell is off in Never Land with Peter Pan, her younger sisters enjoy their own fairy lives on Sheepskerry Island. Sylva, Tinker Bell's second-youngest sister (youngest being baby Squeak), is looking forward to her birthday, as once she is 8 fairy years old she will be allowed to attend the Fairy Ball. She's crushed when the fairy queen, Mab, schedules the ball for the day before her birthday. Poor Sylva tries to come to terms with having to stay home with baby Squeak while her other sisters go to the ball, but her efforts to help her sisters prepare go awry. Finally, the night of the ball comes, and through the window, Sylva witnesses a large band of trolls heading straight for Queen Mab's palace and the ball. Sylva must (after securing her also-too-young-for-the-ball friend to watch Squeak) make the difficult decision to break the age rule and save the fairies from the trolls, who seek to steal the fairy magic. The narration is sweet and gentle--verging on too sweet--but Sylva's proactive personality makes her an engaging character for readers to follow. Good intentions and heroism wrapped in a dainty package for girls who can't get enough fairies. (glossary of baby Squeak's language, cake recipe, music) (Fantasy. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews