Fenella And The Magic Mirror

Fenella is officially a damsel, but she’s the despair of her parents, who want to marry her to young Sir Mallicose. Big, muscular, dark, scruffy and bold, Fenella would rather chop logs and shoot arrows than embroider a tapestry, and she isn’t interested in Sir Mallicose at all. Her younger sister Felicity—delicate, pretty, shy and retiring—loves embroidery, loves Sir Mallicose, and hates Fenella. When the terrible dragon Faffer arrives in the neighborhood, wreaking havoc and stealing livestock and maidservants, Sir Mallicose goes to fight him—and is captured. Fenella sets off to rescue him, despite the fears of her friend Harold the Steward. Her only weapons against Faffer the dragon are her axe . . . and her magic mirror, which shows you the thing you most greatly fear. Will they be enough? And if Sir Mallicose is rescued, which sister will he marry? (Illustrated)

"This area, in County Limerick, is supposed to be the most haunted of all Ireland." Donald Butler, twelve, perks up at these words from his father. But not enough to get over his anger and despair at his parents and annoying sister, Heather, nine. He didn't want to visit Ireland for the summer. He is still trying to get over his close friend's sudden, violent death. But soon Donald, who believes in only facts and science, is caught up with Corey, twelve, his second cousin, and Heather in a search for the Royal Cat and its treasure to save Corey's home, Clareton Court. Corey's yellow cat, the split-tailed, Mirabelle, is also involved. Donald sets out to find answers to the sundials and their mysterious mottoes, surrounding the manor. Are there connections between an old book, the mottoes, the Royal Cat and a megalith, the center stone of a large stone circle? The answer to these questions changes Donald's summer and his life.

Seventh century England; a baby is found in a tree by a party of monks. He’s brought up in their monastery and given the name Arborius. Young Arborius appears to have miraculous powers, so he’s awarded a halo (second-hand, source uncertain)—but all is not as it seems. His “miracles” are really the work of his guardian spirit, a foul-mouthed thin dog, visible only to himself and to the slowest-witted of his fellow monks. This biography of a little-known (actually non-existent) saint reveals how Arborius ostensibly earned his halo, worsted the Devil, was famed for feeding the poor and healing the sick, founded many of our Christmas traditions, departed the world in a manner recalling the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk—and was canonised. Warning: the story contains groan-inducing word games!