Ivy

For fans of Jessica Day George and E. D. Baker comes a charming young fantasy about a girl, her grandmother, and an animal hospital devoted to fantastical creatures. Ivy's grandmother is a healer--to mostly four-legged patients of the forest. Although the woodland creatures love her, the residents of Broomsweep grumble about Grandmother's unkempt garden. When a kingdom-wide contest is announced to proclaim the tidiest town in the land, the people of Broomsweep are determined to win. That is, if they can get Ivy's grandmother to clean up her ways. Ivy is determined to lend a hand, but the task proves more challenging when a series of unexpected refugees descends on Grandmother's cottage. Before the week is over, an injured griffin, a dragon with a cold, and a tiny flock of temperamental pixies will cause a most untidy uproar in Broomsweep . . . and brighten Ivy's days in ways she never could have dreamed. Praise for The Cottage in the Woods: "Charming and engaging. . . . Beautifully written." --School Library Journal, starred review "As rich with characters from folklore as it is full of heart." --The Wall Street Journal