If the name Colin Meloy sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard of him through his band, The Decemberists. It turns out that he’s not only a talented musician, but also quite the accomplished writer, since this first book in his Wildwood trilogy is a marvellously epic ode to otherworlds and the outdoors. When Prue’s baby brother is snatched up by a murder of crows and spirited away to the Impassable Wilderness where strange, sinister creatures live, she is determined to get him back. Accompanied by her less-than-brave classmate Curtis, our plucky heroine encounters talking animals, witches and coyote soldiers on her quest to reunite her family.

The illustrations peppered throughout this Narnia-esque book are charming, and, with its whimsical story and great cast of characters, help make this one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in some time. Lemony Snicket fans aged nine and up will devour it!

Holly Harper is from Readings Carlton