Intrigue, suspense and the odd popping up of red flags make this a page-turning, adventurous fantasy. Kids will marvel at the lush lifestyle Jane enjoys when she agrees to spend the summer with oddball friend Staffa and Staffa's pushy mother, Lady Matilda. But they'll also be swept away by the increasingly suspicious mystery of Staffa and Matilda's life. And they'll root for Jane coming to the rescue of Staffa's country. A fun, getaway novel, even if Queen Matilda's sudden downfall on page 214 comes off as abrupt and convenient. ( )

When she is invited to her new friend's home for summer vacation, eleven-year-old Jane discovers that Staffa and her family are not what they seem to be.