Nullaboo Hullabaloo by Fleur Ferris

Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143787143.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Fairies; School; Country and farming communities. Gemma's science project is to research an insect, but her initial field research on the school grounds leads to a chance encounter with the hidden fairy community that lives there. Living under the threat of the local silver spiders, the fairies are desperate to survive. The revelation to the world of the reality of fairies happens without Gemma's approval, and before long the fairy community and Gemma and her family face another menace from a bigger threat. Gemma's concern for the fairies and her resolve to save them leads to a country community rising to demonstrate their caring nature. The environmental concern of the local rice growers is a parallel story that has its own stresses and strains.
This is a different fantasy story, and the revelation of the fairy world, their traumas and their limited magical attributes is handled with a light touch and in an intriguing way. Young readers will be delighted by the possibilities of having fairies at the bottom of the 'school garden'. The pressures of the Government department that is dedicated to eliminate the fairy world will add interest and tension as the story unfolds. Sparely illustrated by Briony Stewart, the line drawings add interest throughout the book.
Carolyn Hull