(2) 4-6 A freak snowstorm, when it should be spring, ushers in a story in which earth science, fantasy adventure, and mythical archetypes collide. Edward, Danton, Feenix, and Brigit are ordinary middle schoolers, albeit with vibrant personalities and extraordinary interests. Scientific Edward finds an unusual cocoon, and while he intends to study it, he can't seem to keep the thing solidly in his memory. Rebellious Feenix meets a strange green fellow in the woods who asks for her help and gives her some juggling balls; these, too, become ­difficult to remember. When the devilish and sly Superintendent Tiltersmith arrives at their school and turns the principal into a toad, the children embark on a quest to ­rescue a magical Persephone-like Lady from the Tiltersmith and restore equilibrium to the planet and its seasons. Herrick succeeds in crafting a story that feels solidly of this world, even when the protagonists fall through a wormhole or enter a timeless magical forest. Good and evil characters alike are given scintillating personalities and complex motivations, while the story's villain will send shivers down readers spines.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(3) YA When Edward mistakes a Time Fetch for a rock, the sleeping foragers inside wake up, and the powerful fruit fly–like entities begin gobbling time. In the now-collapsing world, Edward and an assortment of unlikely friends must return the Fetch to the Keeper to recall the foragers and save the universe. Solid characterization and fantastical invention carry readers along the whimsical plot arc.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam