Once Upon a Toad

A girl gets into a mouthful of trouble in this modern fractured fairy tale, from the author of “The Mother-Daughter Book Club.” Once upon a time, Cat Starr lived with her astronaut mom in Houston. But when her mother gets sent on a long-term mission, Cat has to move to a far away land–her dad’s house, halfway across the country–and share a room with her real-life evil stepsister, Olivia. Just when Cat can’t take it anymore, Great-Aunt Abyssinia comes to the rescue. And things go from bad to worse. The next morning, Cat opens her mouth and a toad hops out! What’s more, when Olivia speaks, diamonds and flowers appear. How unfair is “that”? Before you can say “happily ever after,” the girls are on the run from jewel thieves and a government agency. Can Cat save the day–and get rid of all those toads?

This is an enchanting fractured fairy tale from acclaimed “Mother-Daughter Book Club” author Heather Vogel Frederick.