Annette Leblanc Cate

The children of the castle, Thomas and Emily, meet Meg, an old friend of their mother's. Meg tells the two children stories of their mother's youth, especially about the time their mother was taken prisoner by a dragon, and the children gradually come to know the story of the estrangement of Meg and their mother.

The characters are all cleverly drawn and appealing, and the story is rich with humor and fun. As a child (and, truly, even as an adult) I loved the stories like this, with illustrations sprinkled throughout the book, and with a feeling of magic throughout.… (meer)

I won a copy of this book.

This would be a good chapter book for kids 7+. Read along or bedtime story would work well as chapters are short. Dialog is easy to get into, characters feel real, and the story is just entertaining. The artwork (not completed in my book as it's an ARC) included my book follows the story and gives the reader some idea of what things look like.

Thomas and Emily, royal children, are practicing archery when they lose one of the really good arrows. When they go looking for it, they discover a door they've never seen before. Knocking, they meet a woman who knows all about the Queen - Thomas and Emily's mom! And oh the tails she weaves...… (meer)