Lilac Peabody and Sam Sparks — Annie Dalton

The first title in a sparkling new series for younger readers, from the creator and author of Angels Unlimited.

Lilac Peabody is as small and shimmery as a dragon-fly â€" a little extraterrestrial busybody, who is a friend to all children who need her. Lilac Peabody empowers children to solve their own problems and then disappears once they have achieved their aims.

This is the first of four short novels which all follow the same group of children within a school environment. Each novel centres on one of the children but it is Lilac's continuing presence that is the all-important link between the four children. It is to Lilac, that the children reveal their true vulnerable selves.

In the first novel, Sam Sparks is the new kid in school. He's lonely and miserable and it's his birthday soon but he has no friends to invite. Enter Lilac, who persuades him to invide a forlorn little waif of a girl â€" Bella Bright â€" to his party. Imagine Sam's surprise when this kind act leads to a whole circus entertaining him on his birthday. The girl is a traveller from a circus family… Lilac has enabled him to have more than he has ever had in his life. Meanwhile Lilac moves on to help the next child…

Annie Dalton has created this wonderful character for younger readers, very much in the mould of Melanie Beeby from Angels Unlimited though Lilac is no angel!