GNAT STOKES AND THE FOGGY BOTTOM SWAMP QUEEN

Love conquers all in this post–Civil War Appalachian tall tale fueled by the supernatural energy of 12-year-old Gnat Stokes, who lives with her grandfather and who “ain’t scairt of nothing,” not even the evil swamp queen Zelda. Based on the Scottish ballad Tam Lin, this farcical swamp romp drips with superstition and magic, Warrior Bogies and rusty Swamp Knights, all described matter-of-factly by Gnat in a funny, folksy first-person narrative. Her quest begins when a talking cat falls from the night sky into her arms, bearing an enchanted golden locket that belongs to the beautiful Penelope, fated true love of the long-missing boy Goodlow Pryce. Determined to transform herself from “no-good bastard child” to hero in one fell swoop, Gnat vows to rescue Goodlow from Zelda’s evil clutches. In the process, she learns a thing or two about who she is—and the power of love. Gnat’s fierce desire to learn the true nature of life and love burns bright throughout this warm, suspenseful, over-the-top adventure that bubbles up with swamp wisdom. (Fiction. 9-12)