My Diary from the Edge Of The World by Jodi Lynn Anderson was a fantastic read about an alternate Earth filled with creatures often found in fairytale or myths and legends.

Gracie hasn't travelled anywhere outside Cliffden in Maine because travelling means encountering Sasquatches, trolls, angry Angels and other creatures who have reclaimed the land from humans. Every day for her is the same as before, until one of the dark clouds that mortals fear appears at the end of her road and its arrival signifies that nothing will be the same for Gracie and her family.

Dark Clouds come to take away the dead and Gracie's little brother Sam is sick. Overnight the family make the decision to travel to the edge of the world to find The Extraordinary World - a place of legend that resembles the world we know, a place where Sam will be safe and the dark clouds will fail. If they can get to The Extraordinary World then their family can be together and happy.

I love Gracie's diary entries, filled with the reality of her life and the struggles of having five people travelling across the world in a worn out Winnebago. Gracie's family plus Oliver, an unusual boy from Gracie's school (ssssh not telling you more) are squashed together and emotions run high especially as they're trying to find something that may not exist.. but you would do anything for someone you love wouldn't you - even risk being burned by dragons who seem to hate T.J. Maxx or Angels who get annoyed by helicopters and planes.

Because love is the strongest thing there is and it's worth risking everything.

Gracie's dad truly believes in the Extraordinary World, and it's made him a laughing stock in Cliffden, he knows everything about Clouds too - I was torn between feeling sorry for him that his convictions have left him isolated and anger at how distant he is from Gracie and her siblings. Jodi Lynn Anderson's way of writing both Gracie's diary entries and the way the children see their father is so well done that at times you want to get hold of the man and shake him in and shout at him for not seeing that his family need him for more than his expertise; especially Gracie's older sister who is so very different to her siblings and often very withdrawn from her family.

With a trip to the Smokey Mountains to meet their Grandmother who is a witch, and a garden filled with ghosts who really want to catch the Dark Cloud for themselves, they get a little bit more help in their bid to escape this flat Earth filled with monsters and things that truly do go bump in the dark. Gracie and her family keep fighting on, they become stronger together than they had been before the cloud appeared with its ominous intent haunting the family...

I don't want to spoil the book but if you want a story where fairytale monsters are the norm, and a family fights for one another and hangs onto a dream? This is for you. So much happens and even though 9lit is intended for middlegraders, I think it's a book so many people will enjoy reading.