THE ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY AUDEN GREENE

A sixth grader swaps places with a princess from the world she created.

Fantasy lover Auden “Denny” Greene has been writing about fairy-tale world Sorrowfeld with best friend Runa Rossi for years. But lately, Runa has been less interested in adding to their journal, The Tale of Dragons True, and more focused on fitting in with the mean, popular girls; her latest worldbuilding contribution is the rule that at 12, “a true princess is not a child anymore.” After Denny and Runa’s disastrous shared 12th birthday party, Denny looks into a mysterious mirror adorned with dragons—her present from Runa—and suddenly she’s in Sorrowfeld, where she’s now Princess Auden. In the real princess’ viewpoint chapters, she’s anxious about turning 12 and clueless about how to fulfill her duty to stop the threatening dragons. Trading lives and ending up in Denny’s world initially offers her a reprieve, but she’s ill-equipped to handle modern preteen social dynamics. Both girls’ storylines explore childhood warring with heavy pressures—the dragons plaguing Sorrowfeld and Denny’s mother’s struggles with alcoholism. Even antagonistic characters are given nuance. Both girls find their way through their problems with courage, compassion, and creativity. The parallels between the story arcs shine, lending authenticity even to the most fantastical elements and adding emotional weight as the girls, who are cued white, grapple with the destructive aspects of grief and expectations. The ending emphasizes heart and understanding.

Come for the fun, magical premise; stay for the hopeful, beautiful story.