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The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone



The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone 
By Jaclyn Moriarty
Arthur A. Levine Books, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2018. 379 p.

Bronte Mettlestone doesn’t really know her parents. She was dropped off at an aunt’s house when she was a baby so they could go on some adventures, and they never came back. Then one day Bronte learns that her parents have been killed by pirates and she must go on a series of trips to visit all the rest of her aunts and uncles to give them gifts (and do various other things). The trick is that she must do these things all alone since her parent’s will was sealed with fairy cross-stitch meaning that if she doesn’t do those things the town she lives in will be destroyed. Thus starts Bronte’s adventures. She comes across fairies, dragons, sprites, and all manner of other fantastical creatures (and pirates!) as she goes around trying her best to live up to the expectations set in the will. Along the way, Bronte also discovers that there is a whole-wide world out there that she just may enjoy getting to know (and her extended family while she is at it) as she comes to learn just who exactly she is. This is a brilliant fantasy novel for those young readers who love adventure and fantasy—but not too much suspense and disaster.

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