#76 in Middle grade
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
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Our view
“The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making” is a clever, whimsical fairy tale with real warmth. Twelve-year-old September is swept from Omaha to Fairyland and sent to fetch a talisman for its capricious young ruler. Readers praise the inventive prose, some the gallery of odd characters too, and it has things to say about growing up. Some readers need time to adjust to its digressions and find the opening slow.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.
Reading order · Fairyland
Full order & progress →- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own MakingThis book
8.08.0 / 10 - The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
–Not ranked yet - The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
–Not ranked yet - The Boy Who Lost Fairyland
–Not ranked yet - The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home
–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.0 across 130 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 47% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Middle grade average of 8.0. That is how 8.0 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.8 | 8 | 6% |
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 122 | 94% |
Frequently asked
What age is The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for?
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making sits on the Middle grade shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 8–12. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Middle grade — with scores between 7.8 and 8.0, closest to this book.
