The Little Secret

Book excerpt: Jane is spending the summer with her odd new friend, Staffa, going to parties and wearing fancy dresses. Staffa's slightly scary mother, Lady Matilda, tells crazy stories, drinks a vile-smelling tea, and never strays far from a glowing painted box that the girls are under strict orders never, ever to open. But Jane can't resist; upon opening it, she is sucked into an amazing and terrifying new world so small that insects are the size of horses. Jane knows she must escape immediately or be trapped forever. But first, she has to wrangle a flying bumblebee, rescue the king, and free the people of Eck. Kate Saunders's The Little Secret takes readers into a wildly imaginative miniaturized world of castle balls, death-defying bee riders, and giant racing spiders. A world where wicked plots are hatched, exciting rescues staged, and where the power of friendship can be a match for even the most dastardly of villains.