During a sleepover, a letter comes to five children begging for the urgent assistance of Esther Mettlestone-Staranise; she must arrive before 10am on Monday to save an entire town of elves trapped under layers of silver. And a regular-size boy who, soon after seeing the children, dies. Oscar is that boy who skipped school in our world on Monday to skate, and found himself in the city of the elves at just the wrong moment: He fled as fast as he could, but not fast enough because the silver wave struck him and he fell down dead.

And that’s just the beginning!

At breakneck pace the cousins and friends (and a six year old stowaway elf named Grufford, who’s a troublemaker) try to stop the clock and rewind the tragedy. Can they do it?

The pleasure is all in the adventure, as only Jaclyn Moriarty can tell it. Hers is a unique blend of humor, suspense, and magic, unfolding through the instantly recognizable rivalries, affections and foibles of her characters.