Losure, Mary. The Fairy Ring, or Elsie and Frances Fool the World. Candlewick, 03/2012. 183p. Non-Fiction. Grades 4-8. OUTSTANDING. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-5670-6.
Nine-year-old Frances has recently arrived in England when she sees fairies in the glade behind her home. Bored with factory life, her fifteen-year-old cousin Elsie designs fairies to be photographed with Frances to validate her claim. Neither girl could have ever imagined the impact of their actions. Once the media is involved, Elise and Frances feel obligated to keep up the ruse. Will their lie be discovered? This non-fiction page turner will delight fairy fans who have outgrown the Disney Fairy series, with reluctant readers and aspiring artists likely to find Elise highly relatable. Photographs, primarily by Elsie, effectively elucidate the text. Losure is able to portray Frances and Elsie’s story without delivering judgment or condescension, and her book should find a substantial audience beyond the offbeat biography seekers. Source notes, image credits, bibliography, and index provide further opportunities for the intrigued reader.
Beth Gousman, Montclair Elementary School