The Secret of Lillian Velvet

By Jaclyn Moriarty

Book #5 in the Kingdoms and Empires series

A lonely girl, magical coins, and a web of danger. What secrets will Lillian Velvet uncover?

4.4/5 Goodreads · 485 ratings

448 pages

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Lillian Velvet, a lonely girl under her grandmother's rule, discovers a jar of magical coins that transport her across time and space. Each coin grants a wish, but as Lillian explores, she encounters a boy in peril and a family in danger. With magic closing in, Lillian must unravel the mystery of her own identity. Can she save those around her and herself before it's too late? Dive into a world where every journey reveals a new secret and nothing is as it seems.

From the publisher

A Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book of 2023 Here are only a few of the wonderful, strange, and mysterious elements in this breathtaking visit to the Kingdoms and Empires: A very proper girl named Lillian Velvet, living a very lonely life with a nasty Grandmother. A jar of coins, each with the power to take Lillian on a journey to a different time and place…and also to grant a single wish. A small boy in a barn about to be crushed to death by a load of hay. A family, each member in mortal danger, who are strangers to Lillian (but whom clever readers will recognize). And a web of dangerous magic closing tight around all. Who IS this Lillian Velvet? And what is her secret? Only Jaclyn Moriarty has the ability to make readers laugh even while they grip the sides of their chairs in suspense. In The Secret of Lillian Velvet she is at the height of her storytelling powers, spinning, spinning, spinning seemingly disparate elements until all is revealed as one delicious, tantalizing whole. P R A I S E ★ “Readers will have a hard time closing this book… A must-have for any middle grade collection with fantasy lovers, and those who enjoy the likes of Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and Lemony Snicket.” –School Library Journal (starred) ★ “Enticing… In the nostalgic fantasy novel The Secret of Lillian Velvet, a child gains friendships and fresh insights about herself through extraordinary interdimensional travels.” –Foreword Reviews (starred) “Absorbingly rich and strange.” –Kirkus “Sparkles with energy, warm humor, and outrageous metaphors.” –Horn Book

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