Kingdom of the Green Glass Straw

Book excerpt: It has been nine long years since the car accident, which sent Tristabelle Kelley on a catatonic journey to theKingdom of the Green Glass Straw. But occasionally, Trista still dreams of the Kingdom and Aunt Emma, the doting caretaker who resides there. Letting her mind carry her back to the day she found herself standing on Aunt Emma's porch, Trista recalls her time at the Kingdom—memories too fantastic to be real, but too vivid to simply be a dream. Unsure of the circumstances of her arrival, Trista and her new friends soon embark on an adventure complete with fairies, trolls, a mysterious cave, an enchanted house—and, of course, the magic green glass straw. Eventually, after Trista regains consciousness in the hospital, she learns to accept that the entire episode was induced by injuries she sustained in the crash. However, an unusual birthday gift from her grandmother shakes her to the core, sending her on a quest to investigate theKingdom of the Green Glass Straw. Is it just a figment of her imagination, or does it actually exist? And, most importantly, how does she fit into the picture as aChild from Another Time and Place?