September 26, 2011
When unicorns, elves, or fairies fight, 12-year-old Jenny and her candy-crazed gnome sidekick, Anthony, swoop in to save the day. “Most of the time,” says Jenny, “I just had to say one of the cheesy things that popped into my head, like ‘Waste not, want not!’ and the magical creatures would think I was wise and great and do whatever I told them.” But Jenny is exhausted: in the three years since she was selected by the Committee to become an adventurer and protect magical kingdoms far and wide, her friends have forgotten her, and she has become more distant from her Aunt Evie. When a lamb prince is kidnapped by Klarr, an evil clown sorcerer who has cast a silence spell on the land of Speak (leaving all creatures without mouths), Jenny agrees to her riskiest mission yet. Staniszewski’s debut is a speedy and amusing ride that displays a confident, on-the-mark brand of humor, mostly through Jenny’s wisecracking narration. Though the plot unfolds predictably, the inventive and lighthearted premise will keep readers entertained. Ages 9–up.