Midwinter's Eve: The Secret Staircase (Brambley Hedge) by Jill Barklem

Everything was sparkling in the frosty winter sunshine, and greetings of "Merry Midwinter," rang out among those who were dragging greenery--holly and chains of ivy and mistletoe--toward the Old Oak Palace.

LORD WOODMOUSE AND PRIMROSE, HIS DAUGHTER, OPENED THE DOOR.

"ARE YOU TWO READY FOR TONIGHT?" LORD WOODMOUSE ASKED PRIMROSE AND WILFRED.

A GRAND ENTERTAINMENT WAS PLANNED AND PRIMROSE AND WILFRED HAD CHOSEN TO GIVE A RECITATION.

Many of the mice of Brambly Hedge were inside the Palace, decorating and preparing the feast for the festival of Midwinter. But Primrose was not sure they had completely memorized their parts, and Wilfred's costume was barely in the planning stage. Lady Woodmouse, busy making carraway biscuits in the kitchen, gave them a snack basket of bread and cheese and shooed them up to the attic to look for outfits and practice their lines.

With good intentions, the two youngsters scamper up the stone steps to the attic area, where there are so many amazing things to investigate that they decide to explore first, especially when through a keyhole, Wilfred spies another enticing flight of stairs.

"IF THERE'S A KEYHOLE, THERE MUST BE A KEY!" SAID PRIMROSE.

The key searched out, the two climb to the attic of Old Oak Palace, where they find a child's bedchamber and a chest filled with wonderful jeweled clothing, perfect for their part in the program. Outside through a lavish golden-grilled window, they see that the lowering sun is growing red, and they begin to practice their lines in earnest.

WHEN THE DAYS ARE THE SHORTEST, THE NIGHTS ARE THE COLDEST,

THE FROST IS THE SHARPEST, THE YEAR IS THE OLDEST,

DRESS IN YOUR RICHEST AND FINEST AND BEST.

WINTER HAS BROUGHT YOU THE WORST IT CAN BRING,

AND NOW IT WILL GIVE YOU

THE PROMISE OF SPRING!

Humans have long felt the appeal of the ancient celebration of the turning of the year, the winter solstice, the nod to ancestral assemblages as old as known time, as in this book in Jill Barklem's celebrated Brambly Hedge series, The Secret Staircase (Brambly Hedge) (HarperCollins), in which two mischievous mouse friends find their roles in the mysteries and connections that link them to their ancestors and bind them together with their community.

This novel is filled with the attraction of young readers to tales of olden times, especially for those who may be drawn by the enchantment of books such as The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings series, and C. S. Lewis' Narnia books beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Beasts of Grimheart, from the Longburrow series), and of course the Harry Potter series, and the many books of hidden doors that lead to enchanting worlds just beyond.

This book about the ancient promise of springtime is offered in lovely prose, charming illustrations, and an intriguing setting for young readers just stepping into the great traditions of the English fantasy novels.