Fairy Bell Sisters 02 – Rosy and the Secret Friend

Margaret McNamara's Rosy and the Secret Friend is a gentle fairy story for 6 year olds about the kindest fairy on the island and the unhappy girl she can't stop helping.

What happens

The Fairy Bell sisters are Tinker Bell's little sisters (yes, really). There's wise Clara, kind Rosy, clever Golden, daring Sylva and baby Squeak, who mostly says "Squeak". They live on Sheepskerry Island, and summer there is perfect. Until August.

In August the Summer People come. They trample the fairy gardens, their dogs get up to mischief and somebody walks off with Golden's precious blue sea glass. So the fairies have to stay hidden.

Then a new family arrives at White Rose Cottage, pushing their daughter Louisa in a wheelchair. She hurt her foot jumping off a step and thinks she's spoiled everybody's summer. Rosy hears her and her heart just melts.

Rosy only means to cheer her up. But Louisa sees her. She can talk to her. And suddenly Rosy has a secret friend and a very big secret to keep from her sisters.

It's super cosy to read. The storyteller chats straight to your child ("You turned the page! What a good choice you've made!"), which little ones love. There are fairy games, a fairy shower, pinkberry pies and a secret post office in an old biscuit tin.

There's a lovely bit where Louisa finds an old Peter Pan book in her grammie's attic and reads it aloud. Rosy discovers that her big sister Tink once had a human friend too. Imagine finding your sister in a storybook!

It's also a really nice way into a bigger feeling. Rosy has never kept anything from her sisters before, and it makes her feel sick with worry. If your reader has ever had a secret that got heavier and heavier, they'll understand exactly how she feels.

This is the second Fairy Bell sisters book. It works on its own, as the sisters are all introduced again at the start. A wild storm blows in later on, but it's exciting rather than scary.

What to read next

If this one goes down well, start at the very beginning with Sylva and the Fairy Ball, where Sylva is desperate to go to a ball she's too young for.