Over the Woodward Wall

Avery is a boy of exact habits. He washes his face the same way every morning and finishes his homework without being asked, without complaint and without fuss. Zib lives on the same street, but she is his opposite: nothing she does can be predicted, except that she will always be unpredictable.

One morning, a detour on the way to school takes the two children over a stone wall and into the Up and Under. It is a strange land of talking trees, sarcastic owls, dangerous mermaids and queens who are not to be taken at face value. Neither child has a map, and the way back home is not marked.

This is a children's fantasy adventure aimed at readers who are young at heart. It pairs two very different companions on a road full of odd creatures and real peril.

A warning runs through the story: trust the wrong person and home may stay out of reach. To get back to their own lives, Avery and Zib must work out who they are in this place and rely on each other.

The book is the work of Seanan McGuire writing under the name A. Deborah Baker. It was a finalist for the 2021 Locus Award. Expect a whimsical tone, a quest structure and a land where the rules are never quite what the children assume.