cover image The Peddler’s Road

The Peddler’s Road

Matthew Cody. Knopf, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-385-75522-1

In this first book in the Secrets of the Pied Piper trilogy, Cody (Villainous) seeks to answer some of the mysteries surrounding the famous legend. Did it actually happen? Who was this enigmatic piper? And what became of the children he led away? The book opens with 10-year-old Carter and his older sister, Max, reacting very differently to their trip to the German town of Hamelin, where their father is researching the folktale. Despite his clubfoot, Carter wants to explore with his sister, while Max would rather sulk and dye her hair pink. After the siblings are magically transported to an enchanted island where the long-missing children from the tale still live, they must embark on a perilous journey to fulfill a prophecy in hopes of returning everyone home. Shifting among various characters’ perspectives, this engaging story introduces a world filled with human-size rats, magicians, kobolds, elves, ghosts, and more. Cody weaves an inventive fantasy that spans time and space in its exploration of the lighter and darker sides of magic. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary. (Oct.)