A 12-year-old girl makes a reckless bargain with a desperate water nymph in this charming middle-grade debut perfect for fans of classics like The NeverEnding Story. Poppy Woodlock believes in magic,but so farshe hasn’t found any. It’s been two weeks since her parents moved their family to Oregon to undertake their biggest project yet: revitalizing the once-grand Lark-Hayes Manor. Her older brother instantly found his placebut after being thrown into middle school midyearPoppy is feeling…invisible. So she retreats to where she’s always felt most at home: books and magic. And if the fantastic and supernatural existcertainly they can be found in this mysterious old estate. A late-night prowl leads Poppy to a desperate water nymphwith whom she strikes a dangerous bargain. In exchange for the thing she loves most–her favorite book– Poppy now has the secret of a lifetime: her very own flying lion. Sampson is exactly what she needs to prove magic does exist andmore importantlythat she is not to be so easily dismissed. But the cost of ancient magic is astronomic. With every night Sampson growsanother book disappearsand Poppy soon faces the harrowing reality that without their favorite storiesthe lives of everyone around her begin to unravel. Fixing the chaos will require Poppy to be clever and boldand even at her smartest and loudestshe’s not sure it will be enough. But she has to try.