This middle reader fantasy will take you back into the World of Fairies, where children are the keepers of fairy secrets. Join Wanda Stewart as she tries to solve the mystery for the fairies: why are the honey bees dying. Will she find the answer before the Dark Sorcerer Balkazaar finds her?
Who's got time for homework when your problems involve evil sorcerers? Wanda should be studying for a quiz, avoiding the bullies at her new school and living a normal tweenage life. But, she is called upon once more to be a savior of the fairies, a protector of the fey, a Crystal Keeper. Bees are dying, fairies are missing and nobody knows why.
Wanda and her new friend, Edina, visit a crystal store to search for clues. They read about the Green Man, a forest king who Wanda thinks could be the key to solving the mystery. But, when a unicorn appears in her bedroom, the mystery just seems to deepen. Perhaps by asking the right questions, she can find the answer to the crisis. Or will she just end up in peril herself?
Excerpt
Excerpt from Chapter 3 Adventures in Friendship:
I noticed that the wood sprite queen was all green skinned, with flowing green material for a dress. The dress was shaped like leaves draping her body. Her long, flowing green hair and yellow diamond eyes bored a hole through my mind as she looked at me. I couldn’t look away.
“All right, you’ve got my attention. Your Keeper has brought me here. What is it that you need?” I mean, that’s what a Crystal Keeper is supposed to say, right? I was hoping I sounded like a heroine out of one of my favorite books. Sometimes reading a lot of fantasy novels came in handy as a Keeper.
“There is a problem among the Kingdoms of Fairy. And we need the minds of all Crystal Keepers to try to solve it. It involves bees.”
“Bees?” I hate bees. I got stung once when I was 5. It swelled up and my mom had to take me to the hospital. I’d been warned to stay away from them. “What about bees?” I almost felt like not asking. However, I’d found out the direct approach is the best way to go with fairies.
Queen Alira sighed and said, “They are dying. The way of the wood has been disrupted and somehow the bees are affected. They are our close allies in helping trees and other plant life. Without bees, much of our forests and plants would not continue on.”
“Not to mention that honey is an excellent byproduct.” Eddy chimed in with a big grin.
Queen Alira nodded. “It is a gift from the bees to all and again the weight of their function in forest and glen. It is a harsh problem. Whole hives have been found dead or abandoned. We know not how this is possible, and we look to you, the Keepers, for assistance in this grave matter. We believe they might be disappearing through the ley line doorways.” She lowered her head and focused her attention squarely to my eyes. “It is most grave.” The wood sprite looked towards Edina.
Eddie cleared her throat. “So, I figure, we’ve got to do some research on why the bees might be dying, in a Keeper sense. That’s why I guessed we could head to the crystal store downtown. Sometimes the answers have been hidden in myths and legends. The knowledge of past Keepers got turned into stories and stuff. You ready to check it out?” Eddy jumped down off the dais and started to head down the corridor.
“What about homework?” I tried to hide the fact it sounded more like a nervous yelp. If my grades went down from being a Keeper, grounded would be my past time.
Winner of two 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Ebooks Category:
Best Illustrations: 2nd Place
Picture Books Ages 6 and Older: Honorable Mention
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