Wellspring of Magic

Alyssa loves to paint. In this world, she creates her favorite subjects―flowers, plants, and vines―the old fashioned way. With a paintbrush and paper. But when she and the other girls in her crafting club accidentally enter a magical world called the Realm, Alyssa discovers she can create and command the plant life with mere words. And she’s not the only one of the girls who learns she possesses a remarkable power … or a secret royal identity.

Wellspring of Magic is the first book in the Creative Girls Enchanted Adventures series, an exciting new fantasy series by Jan Fields (Annie’s Publishing, April 2015, Ages 7-10). When Alyssa and her sister move from New York to Portal, CT, they discover their new neighborhood is anything but normal. Five large, old houses that have been empty for years stand in a circle. In the middle of the circle is an overgrown park filled with strange statues of scowling people and a small stone building. No one knows where the statues came from or who built the building. Although the houses have been empty for nearly a century, they’re all purchased by new families at about the same time. And every family that moves in has a girl of about the same age―creative girls like Alyssa who quickly become friends and decide to turn the old stone building into their crafting clubhouse.

Then it happens. The oddly heavy, metal medallions arrive in the mail, sparking a frenzy of speculation. Each girl receives one, engraved with a design unique to her talents. It is a big mystery who sent them and an even bigger mystery as to why. But when they place them together inside their clubhouse, a secret portal to a magical world opens, and the girls enter the Realm. There they learn they are the lost princesses of the six kingdoms and must master their newfound powers in order to heal the magic of the land before evil forces completely destroy everything―including the doorway back to their clubhouse.
The brave and creative group of heroines in this delightful adventure will appeal to middle-grade readers, especially those who enjoy fantasy and crafts.