The Secret of Platform 13

A forgotten door on an abandoned railway platform is the entrance to a magical kingdom--an island where humans live happily with mermaids, ogres, and other wonderful creatures. Carefully hidden from the world, the Island is only accessible when the door opens for nine days every nine years. When the beastly Mrs. Trottle kidnaps the Island's young prince, it's up to a strange band of rescuers to save him. But can the rescuers--an ogre, a hag, a wizard, and a fey--sneak around London unnoticed? Fans of Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, and E. Nesbit will delight in this comic fantasy.

Eva Ibbotson has written several books for children and adults. A previous novel, Which Witch?, was a runner-up for the Carnegie Medal, one of England's most prestigious children's book prizes. Ms. Ibbotson lives in the north of England. Sue Porter has illustrated more than fifty books for children. She lives with her husband and their three children in the countryside of Rutland, England.