In a Blink (review)

One minute, friends Kate, Lainey, Mia, and Gabby are playing soccer in the backyard, and the next, the girls finds themselves transported to a faraway beach populated by flamingos and fairies. It turns out that Prilla, a fairy who had been visiting the human world, accidentally brought the girls back to Never Land with a "blink," and now the girls are stuck in Pixie Hollow until Never Land moves closer to the human realm again and they can "blink" back. The girls are hardly complaining, however, since they get to spend their time eating glorious feasts and learning how to fly with fairy dust. The appearance of Tinker Bell and several other Disney-sanctioned fairies give the book obvious appeal, yet the writing is actually quite sophisticated for the opening title of a commercial series. Simple, accessible sentences and plenty of dialogue make this an approachable early chapter book, and the changing viewpoints, as the narration focalizes in turn through each of the four girls and Tinker Bell, give an introductory lesson in perspective to transitioning readers. Details of life in Pixie Hollow will no doubt elicit squeals of delight from readers who enjoy portraits of life in the miniature, and this will please its target audience like a fine sprinkling of fairy dust.