When eleven-year-old Charlotte, who prefers the spunkier moniker Charlie, vanishes from her apartment in a public housing high-rise, the real-world consequences for her aunt (and newly adoptive mother) include a visit from Child Protective Services. But Charlie has been whisked away to Eridul, where her mysterious powers are coveted by warring factions who seek to heal-or destroy-their fractured world.

This holiday fantasy, the prelude to the forthcoming series The Chronicles of Eridul, deftly combines the menace of traditional fairy tales, a deep-rooted struggle between good and evil in an animal-ruled kingdom, and contemporary economic struggles tinged with Scrooge-y villainy.

The author keeps the reader's attention by masterfully using dialogue to establish character traits and by cutting between Charlie's adventures in a majestic, post-apocalyptic forest and the events in her depressed hometown, where struggling families face endemic corruption. Sisterly bonds are key to the narrative, including the antelope Adeline and great blue heron Millicent, once as close as siblings, and now the leaders of opposing forces in Eridul. The many characters in the story range from venal to benevolent, embodying the fears and promise of the Christmas season.

Juxtaposing holiday morality tales of just rewards for good behavior with a magical realm where animals unite to save their dying world, Charlie Saves Christmas offers young readers a vision of triumphant goodness-one that doesn't come without a fight.

Takeaway: A young girl discovers her own power and the true meaning of family in this epic adventure.

Great for fans of: Tamora Pierce's Alanna: The First Adventure, Liz Braswell's A Twisted Tale series.