The Princess and the Goblin

Said to be one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, this book tells the story of the young Princess Irene, her good friend Curdie--a minor's son--and Irene's mysterious and beautiful great great grandmother, who lives in a secret room at the top of the castle stairs. Princess Irene lives in a castle with her elusive great-great grandmother and her nanny. When she and her friend Curdie discover that a local race of Goblins is planning an attack on humans, they search for a way to stop it. Filled with images of dungeons and goblins, mysterious fires, burning roses, and a thread so fine as to be invisible and yet--like prayer--strong enough to lead the Princess back home to her grandmother's arms, this is a story of Curdie's slow realization that sometimes, as the princess tells him, "you must believe without seeing." Simple enough for reading aloud to a child, it's rich enough to repay endless delightful readings for the adult.