A deliciously quirky tale of secrets, magic, and illusions. Everything is in place: the packed theater, the Amazing Thummel, and, center stage, the magician's mysterious assistant. Some have called her the most beautiful woman in Europe.Then, in a swirl of light, she vanishes!An astounding illusion, but she never reappears. All that remains are a bloodstained white scarf and her daughter, Cisley, who lives in a glass castle and walks her pet lobster each morning by the sea.Enter Cole, a rambunctious boy from town and Cisley's first true friend. Together they hunt for clues to her mother's disappearance. They puzzle over broken mirrors, ever-shifting labyrinths, a closet full of whispering ball gowns, and a fatal quest for a pure black rose.Roderic Townley spins a deliciously spooky tale of one girl's journey to discover what's real and what is simply an illusion.From the Hardcover edition.

At the mid point of three towns, in the center of three streams, in the heart of a forest, lies a mysterious island. Encircled by quicksand and sewn shut by vines, it is impenetrable to all but the poisonous snakes patrolling its waters. But Daniel is determined to get there, along with his friend Emily.Emily is a bit mysterious herself. A girl who seems to know more than she can say, whose mother was taken away by government troops, and whose eccentric grandmother reads the future in her bubble bath.Enter the soldiers. Their menacing commander is terribly interested in sleepy little Everwood. Is he searching for something? A treasure map? The island? The girl? Roderick Townley spins a magical tale of lies and truths, of secrets kept and secrets revealed. Sooner or later, we all must step through the door in the forest.From the Hardcover edition.

It was only one shoe. It fit no one. But everyone wanted it. Hap Barlo sits in a cell, wondering how it had all gone so wrong. The blue shoe was ruined, the girl he'd been trying to help was missing, and he'd been branded a thief--again! He would be banished to the far side of Mount Xexnax in the morning. On the bright side, now he might be able to rescue his father, who had been banished last year. No one has ever returned from Xexnax, so perhaps Hap is a tad optimistic to be dreaming of rescue. Then again, perhaps a dreamer, a doer, and a thief is just the kind of boy who could challenge this mountain--and win! First edition will be printed in blue ink!From the Hardcover edition.