Night Gate

Rage Winnoway's closest friends have always been her four dogs: Bear, Billy Thunder, Elle, and Mr. Walker. When Rage sets off for the hospital where her mother lies in a coma, the dogs and the neighbor's goat tag along. On the way, they run into the firecat, who talks them into going through a magical gate. And something wonderful happens! Each of Rage's friends is transformed. Bear becomes a real bear; Billy Thunder, a teenage boy; Elle, a warrior woman; Mr. Walker, a small, large-eared gentleman; and the goat, a satyr with an inferiority complex. Together, Rage and her companions embark on a quest to save the world of Valley, a journey that is somehow tied to Rage's family. In this brilliant tale of courage and transformation, Isobelle Carmody captures the magic of Narnia and the whimsy of Wonderland without losing sight of the real world and all its difficulties. From the Hardcover edition.

Isobelle Carmody began her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while in high school. That series, along with her award-winning short stories, has established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia. <i>Billy Thunder and the Night Gate</i> (the Australian title) was shortlisted for the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature in the 2001 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. She lives in Apollo Bay, Australia, and Prague, the Czech Republic.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>