Afternoon of the Elves

Something strange and wonderful has appeared in Sara-Kate's junky and overgrown backyard: a tiny, delicate village built of sticks and leaves. Who could have made it? Sara-Kate insists it was elves, but Hillary isn't so sure. Why would elves want anything to do with a scrawny, bad-tempered girl like Sara-Kate? But the elves must see something special in Sara-Kate something only they, and Hillary, can see. It isn't long before Hillary realizes that there is something truly magical-and mysterious-about her new friend. Why won't Sara-Kate allow anyone in her house? And why hasn't anyone ever seen her parents? The urge to find the answers leads Hillary past the elf houses and across the threshold of Sara-Kate's own forbidding house. In this Newbery Honor Book and ALA Children's Notable Book, Janet Taylor Lisle spins a tender, enchanting tale of an unusual friendship that grows between two girls-and the magic that keeps that friendship alive.