Tinsey Clover

Chipmunk-size trealfur elf Tinsey Clover has green eyes, pointy ears, purple hair, and an affinity for math. The wall around Snugglepunk, her Icelandic Bungaborg Forest community, is designed to keep all 192 trealfurs safe, but Tinsey feels trapped. At age 11, each trealfur’s power emerges; while her blue-haired brother Aspen’s gift is communicating with animals, her father summons windstorms, and her mother sings at a certain pitch to make everything pause. Tinsey’s newly manifested gift? Making cleaning supplies appear with a snap. Disappointed, feeling like an outsider, and resolving to explore the forest, Tinsey sneaks out of Snugglepunk alone. Encountering huldufolk—including Judder the troll, Sky the rabbit, and Talia the dragon, whose kind dispositions belie their appearances—Tinsey discovers the world beyond Snugglepunk isn’t what she expected. Flagg delivers a determined heroine: resourceful Tinsey faces peril but allows her morality and bravery to guide her, with help from her brother and some new friends. Tinsey is relatable as a curious girl searching for her place in a world that needs change. Though the plot and characters lack depth, the tale underscores open-mindedness, inclusivity, and forgiveness. Ages 8–12. (Self-published.)