Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg

Last night I had a Tastefully Simple party with some family and friends over. It was a small group, but we got to try over thirty different items, and it was a lot of fun. Now with the new furniture and decorations, the house is far more welcoming, especially with enough seating! Jesse and I used to be a very social couple; we were always having people over to play cards or games, or to just hang out. But after I became sick, we stopped inviting people over, and when we were invited, we often had to cancel if I was in pain. After years of this, some friends just drifted away. The pain hasn't gotten any better in the last year, but my attitude has drastically changed. Part of it is my weight loss, but I think it has more to do with my relationship with God. He has renewed my love for life and my peace with the world. I smile more and want to be around people again. So hopefully last night was the beginning of something new. More time with friends, more laughs in our home, more joy in our lives. Last night after everyone had gone home, I walked around the house, and it still seemed full of light and life. It was a good night, hopefully just the first of many more!

Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg by Gail Carson Levine is the first book in the Disney Fairies series by Levine. Prilla is a brand new fairy in Fairy Haven, and she has a big problem. Most fairies know as soon as they are born what their talent is, but Prilla doesn't have any idea. Tinker Bell takes her on a tour hoping to help her figure it out, but Tink quickly becomes frustrated because Prilla doesn't talk like any other fairy, seems to be talentless and occasionally blanks out on conversations. What Tink doesn't know is that Prilla is visiting "Clumsy" (human) children on the mainland. Prilla arrives just before Mother Dove's "molt" when she loses some of her feathers which are turned into fairy dust, which then allows fairies to fly and do all of their tasks more effectively. But when a huge hurricane hits Never Land, it destroys the egg and wounds Mother Dove, which causes most of the residents of Never Land to begin aging. Prilla, Rani an water-talent fairy, and Vidia a fast-flying talent fairy embark on a quest to restore the egg, heal Mother Dove, and save all of Never Land, and Prilla also hopes that along the way she will discover her talent. I began reading this book nightly with my eight-year-old daughter, and I quickly fell in love with this beautiful novel. Levine's descriptions of Mother Dove are breath-taking and heart-breaking. There is surprising depth in this character, more than you normally see in adult novels, much less one for children. The quest has an epic feel, although it is accomplished rather easily, but Rani makes a shocking sacrifice, and Tinker Bell has to grow up a bit while dealing with her feelings for Peter Pan. Levine has written a novel for both the children and adults who love Tinker Bell with rare ability. Children can relate to Prilla's search for where she fits in the world. David Christiana's watercolor paintings throughout the book are gorgeous. My daughter and I have also read the first chapter book in the Disney Fairies series, The Trouble with Tink, and that is a fairly predictable chapter book for elementary readers. But The Quest for the Egg is something much better. It's one of the best books I've read this year.