Will 'Fablehaven' be another 'Harry Potter'?

Attention all young adults, middle schoolers, elementary kids and (incidentally) kindergartners:

"Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull is the mega-ship on a vast and roiling sea of Harry Potter wannabes. Some readers think this series is even better (gasp) than Harry Potter. I'm still debating with myself, but it just might be. It's fantastic to read or read-aloud. It's also one of those special books that manages to seamlessly include challenging vocabulary. And it's the first book of a series.

Under protest, a brother (Seth, 11) and a sister (Kendra, 13) are taken to stay on the huge estate of their grandparents whom they barely know. The grandmother seems not to be present, but the kindly grandfather and housekeeper provide every comfort and amusement, from a treehouse to a swimming pool.

For their own protection, the children are warned not to venture beyond the fenced-in yard. In spite of (or because of) this warning, Seth heads for the woods and encounters dangers and mysteries that spur him to further investigation. Initially, his sister enjoins him to follow the rules, but soon becomes part of the adventures.

Although the grandfather wants to protect the children, he respects their spirit of adventure. He also respects Kendra's intelligence and tenacity in putting together clues and solving a riddle. As the children earn his trust and admiration, the grandfather explains that his estate is one of several around the world that provide a home for mythical, magical, mystical creatures. A witch, a golem, naiads, trolls, imps, satyrs, fairies and other creatures live in the environs.

These are creatures (some good, some evil) who manage to live in harmony only because of the covenant to which they've all agreed. As the story progresses, the covenant is threatened and a tremendous battle ensues. Kendra musters courage she didn't know she possessed to rescue her brother and grandfather.

This New York Times bestselling book is published by Shadow Mountain. Instead of a huge publicity campaign, the author went to 40 cities where he made free author visits to schools. Children and parents bought the book, read the book, loved the book and spread their enthusiasm. This remarkable success is all the more astonishing because it was caused by kids, not Madison Avenue. No hype, just a great book. What a refreshing concept!

Contact Fran Hawk at franbooks@yahoo.com.