Twelve-year-old Rufus wants to spend summer vacation at nearby Feylawn, his grandfather's farm, aimlessly exploring the forest, meadow, orchard, and creek. Despite his father's misguided attempts to limit his time there, he perseveres and discovers a beautifully crafted model locomotive in the barn. After hearing its bell ring, he can see and converse with feylings--diminutive, flying, surprisingly hostile fairies who live in failing health at Feylawn and long to ride the train back home to the Green World, where they can heal. Can Rufus find the missing cars and restore the train? He and his cousin Abigail deal with goblins and waken a boulder giant as they follow the cryptic rhyming clues. While their search drives the plot effectively, and their encounters with foes add drama, at the story's heart is Rufus' growing confidence as he stands up for himself and what he values. Adults as well as kids are portrayed as flawed individuals. Amusing scenes balance weightier ones in this appealing chapter book, the first of two volumes planned for the Feylawn Chronicles series.

With a dash of imagination and a heap of adventure, Slater's middle grade fantasy debut, starring 12-year-old biracial cousins Rufus and Abigail, is certain to appeal to readers of varying ages. At school, half-Japanese, half-white Rufus Takada Collins is somewhat of an outcast--especially after making several socially "fatal errors" guaranteed to set him apart from his peers. Now, however, it's summer vacation, and despite his father's summer camp expectations, Rufus is looking forward to diving into the birds, seeds, and mysteries of Feylawn, his grandpa Jack's home in Galosh, Calif., especially after strange things begin happening at the estate. The discovery of a beautiful old steam engine in the barn sets Rufus and his high-achieving, half-Mexican, half-white cousin Abigail on a path toward not only self-discovery, but also the knowledge that Rufus can see things others can't. What follows is a twisting slide into human-versus-other politics, rebellion against authority, and wrestling with consequences. The growth and maturation Abigail and Rufus undergo together is elegantly addressed in an occasionally dark plot. Lingering questions may leave some readers unsatisfied, but readers may find answers in the next installment. Ages 8--12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (July)

When 12-year-old Rufus Takada Collins finds an old train, it puts him in the midst of a magical, life-or-death scavenger hunt. After a school year characterized by what he thinks of as a series of Fatal Errors, Rufus is looking forward to spending the summer with Grandpa Jack at Feylawn, the family property that encompasses forest, meadow, creek, and orchard. At Feylawn, Rufus finds an old-fashioned locomotive. Unfortunately, Grandpa Jack is hurt falling through rotting floorboards before he can learn about the train, and Rufus' father bans Rufus from Feylawn. Rufus sneaks back and finds he can now see fairylike creatures called feylings. He discovers the train is the feylings' only way home, and it's been missing for years. With the help of his pretentious cousin, Rufus must decipher old clues to find the missing train parts. But this journey leads him to possibly the ultimate Fatal Error. With mischievous feylings, goblins, and magic, this is an exciting, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy. The characters' experiences are also grounded in the real world: parental unemployment, divorce, friendship, familial bonds, growing up, family secrets, grief, and loss. Big lessons for readers and Rufus both are the importance of looking at the bigger picture and understanding how choices affect more than just ourselves. Both cousins are biracial; Rufus' mother is of Japanese heritage, and his father is white, and Abigail's father is Mexican, and her mother is white. A delightful read for anyone who loves magic. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3--6--Slater has created a fun, emotionally driven fairy story. All 12-year-old Rufus wants to do for the summer is run wild around his grandfather's property which is equipped with forest, orchards, and a creek. He does not want to go to an educational camp, work on dad-approved projects, or spend time with his overachiever cousin, Abigail. But when Rufus and Abigail discover a secret world of magical creatures that need their help, they have to set aside their differences to solve a mystery and fight a lurking evil. This story is familiar--two kids discover a secret world hiding right under their noses and have to battle something evil to protect it--but Slater breathes new life into the trope. The fraught relationship between Rufus and his father rings true and lends a realistic anchor to this fantasy story. Rufus and Abigail are under immense pressure from their parents, and the world, to excel and be unique, but only in a socially acceptable way. This mirrors the pressures young people are under today, where kids are already preparing for college applications at the age of 11. In a world with so much responsibility, it is lovely to escape into fairyland. VERDICT An excellent readalike for "The Spiderwick Chronicles" by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; recommended for any young fantasy fans.--Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons M.S., Aurora, IL

Slater (winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction honor for The 57 Bus, rev. 1/18) here presents an entertaining, fantastical summertime story. Twelve-year-old Rufuss grandfather lives at Feylawn, an estate overtaken by nature and, as Grandfather puts it, prone to cantankerous moods. Though his parents dont like him spending time there, Rufus loves Feylawn and wishes he could spend his whole vacation exploring. Rufuss summer takes a bizarre turn, though, when he finds a small train on the grounds and discovers that feylings, or fairies, live at Feylawn and are waiting for that very train to take them back to the Green World from which they came. Rufus and his highly accomplished cousin Abigail have to sneak around the adults suspicion in order to help the stranded feylings return home. The entertaining and lively story line is unhindered by side-quests or complications, setting Rufus and Abigail on a fairly straightforward adventure. Sassy feylings and other rambunctious magical creatures make the tale feel fresh, while the drama from opposing fairy factions (and nefarious shopkeepers) never gets too scary. Rufuss self-confidence grows with every chapter, and realistic tension between his family members works itself out in a satisfactory, but not simplistic, way. Sarah A. Berman July/August 2020 p.143(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.