Beyond Platform 13

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 8 FEB 2021

In this estate-sanctioned sequel to the late Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13, Pounder (Witch Wars) revisits characters from the original novel, beginning her follow-up years later at Vienna Central Station. Lina Lasky, nine, is a staunch believer in magic, despite her parents and friends' skepticism. When the heralded prince-saving, human-passing hag Odge Gribble, now a teenager, mistakes Lina as "the world's oldest and only mistmaker expert," Lina is pulled into a fantastical world in need of saving. The Island of Mist has been commandeered by malicious, exclusionary harpies, and to make matters worse, something is wrong with the mistmakers—furry creatures who produce the island's protective mist. But the quest comes with serious time constraints: the island's portal is only open for nine days every nine years, and the group only has "until tomorrow night" to foil the harpies' plans. Candid, near-constant conversations keep the pages turning, and whimsical details aplenty will stoke young readers' imaginations. The original charm of Ibbotson's classic is impossible to match, but this warm continuation will woo returning fans with its humor and invite a new generation to appreciate the late fantasy author's oeuvre. Ages 8–12.