As punishment for inadvertently entering an alternate, mythic universe, Hayley, a young, orphaned British girl, is banished from her grandparents’ London home to a rambling, castlelike mansion in Ireland. There she meets a confusingly large group of cousins who draw her into a secret, forbidden game that takes place in “the mythosphere,” a universe made up of stories. As she plays the game, Hayley discovers the true nature of her extraordinary family as well as her own considerable power, a power that she hopes will enable her to find her lost parents. Author holds the 2007 World Fantasy As sociation Lifetime Achievement Award. mac

A delightfully sharp novella by the legendary Diana Wynne Jones.

Hayley's parents disappeared when she was a baby. Since then, she has been raised and homeschooled by her grandparents. Grandad is overworked and travels a lot; Grandma is much too strict and never lets her meet any children her own age. When Hayley does something wrong--she is not quite sure what--they pack her off to her aunts in Ireland. To Hayley's shock, her family is much bigger than she thought; to her delight, the children all play what they call "the game," where they visit a place called "the mythosphere." And while she plays the game, Hayley learns more about her own place in the world than she had ever expected. This original novella by Diana Wynne Jones is sharply funny, fast-paced, and surprising until its very end--like all of this acclaimed author's work.