The second in a magical story that promotes friendship and doing the right thing. ‘Escape to Dorland’ by Florie Parker is a children's fantasy story that follows on from ‘The Shadow of the Rowan Tree’. Our main character Daisy, and a surprising number of her neighbours have a magical connection to the fairies that live in the protected woodland near their village. This connection was introduced and explored in the first book, with the key themes of friendship and self-belief brought into this sequel. Daisy discovers that the fairies might be at risk from plans to build lots of new houses, while her fairy friend Margot, gains responsibility following the events of the first book, and is feeling the pressure to live up to her new role. When even greater challenges arise, the characters must make sure that they do what is right, using their connection to try and keep the fairies safe. I would advise those interested in this story to start with book one to get the most out of the story and have a proper introduction to the characters. I liked the combination of magical and ecological themes, how the protection of the fairies is merged with the protection of green spaces for those who perhaps aren’t believers. I also liked the message of honesty that is emphasised throughout the book, with Daisy surprisingly uncovering more and more believers as she looks for different ways to help the fairies. With lots of things to be resolved, fans of this book will be keen to get their hands on the final book in this trilogy to see what happens next.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
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