After moving with her parents to Iowa, twelve-year-old Lucy discovers a mysterious notebook that can bring stories to life and which has a link to the 1914 disappearance of her great uncle.

When Princess Adela sets eyes on Lady Hortensia's garden, she knows something is amiss. Every single flower is in bloom, and in the middle of October! Not only that, there is a talking magpie flitting about the garden and stealing the guests' jewels. Is it possible that Hortensia is a witch and the magpie an enchanted prince? And what of the flowers themselves? Will Adela get to the root of the mystery and nip trouble in the bud before it's too late?...

A young mouse must save her production of "The Nutcracker" in a charming holiday tale from the author of "The Gingerbread Pirates" and the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events.