內容簡介
   Goblins? Where's the proof? Poppy Malone wasn't the kind of girl who saw goblins. That was what made the whole thing so strange. If it had been anyone else in her family——her parents or Will or Franny or even Rolly, who was only five—it would have made much more sense. But they didn't go into the attic on that hot June afternoon, and Poppy did. And that made all the difference.     
作者簡介
   Suzanne Harper grew up in Texas and lives in New York City.     
精彩書評
   Publishers Weekly An itinerant family moves into a rambling old house in Austin, Tex., in this highly entertaining launch to Harper's (The Juliet Club) the Unseen World of Poppy Malone series. 
When minor mishaps immediately occur, the Malone parents, bumbling paranormal investigators, are convinced that a "Dark Presence" is haunting the house and vow to track it down (" ‘A Dark Presence, hard at work.' sighed happily. ‘We are going to have such fun,' "). Nine-year-old Poppy, a committed skeptic and aspiring scientist, believes there is a rational explanation, yet after she encounters a goblin in the attic, Poppy discovers it isn't the only prankster involved. Soon mayhem erupts——tapping noises keep everyone awake at night, computers falter, possessions disappear—and the replacement of the rambunctious youngest Malone, Rolly, with a (very polite) changeling has Poppy and her two remaining siblings embarking on a search for their missing brother. 
The book shines through the consistently amusing dynamics and dialogue among the Malones; Harper has abundant fun with the Malone parents' eccentricities, and kids will too. Readers will want more from this family. Ages 8–12. (May) Children's Literature With ghost-hunter parents, a snotty older sister, a sneaky twin brother and a downright obnoxious little brother, Poppy is the normal one in the family. This makes her discovery at her new house all the more surprising! After moving (yet again) so her parents can research paranormal phenomena, Poppy discovers a goblin in the attic, and she sets out to prove that he is real. 
Her parents take the odd noises and strange happenings as ghost invasion, but Poppy knows that this paranormal problem is more sinister when her usually rotten little brother suddenly seems polite, respectful and cheerful all the time. She suspects that the goblins have taken him and replaced him with a changeling. Now, Poppy must rescue her brother before it is too late! The story is well-paced and just suspenseful enough for young fantasy readers. 
Poppy's parents provide wonderful comic relief while leaving Poppy and her other siblings to be the responsible saviors of little Rolly. Readers too young for other goblin-infested series like "Fablehaven" will enjoy Poppy's lighter adventures in this first book of "The Unseen World of Poppy Malone" series. Reviewer: Tiffany Torbeck Fewer Reviews School Library Journal Gr 3–6—The daughter of paranormal investigators, Poppy Malone comes face-to-face (or perhaps knee-to-face) with a wily, old gnome in the attic of her new home. Now she thinks she knows what's causing the general chaos throughout the house in the hours since they moved in-the electricity failing, doors collapsing, and food containers exploding. 
The premise for this fantasy, set in the steaming heat of a Texas summer, is a good one, but the narrative falls short in its believability, and the characterization of everyone except Poppy is weak. Integral to the story are her three siblings, yet readers learn little about them except for the fact that one is annoying, another lethargic, and the third wayward. Poppy is likable and, for the most part, exhibits the true characteristics of a girl on the cusp of 10 years old. Inexplicably, she continually doubts the solid evidence of a veritable company of gnomes, including numerous sightings and even conversations, despite the fact that her family traipses around the world looking to authenticate the existence of otherworldly creatures. 
It's also unbelievable that Poppy never tells her parents about the intruders, even after her incorrigible four-year-old brother is kidnapped by gnomes and replaced with one of their own. The rationale for this: not to upset Mrs. Malone. Poppy's mother is a professional ghost hunter; would she really be unnerved by a colony of gnomes? Students might be happy to follow Poppy on further adventures, but not before a generous dose of pragmatism makes its way into the story.—Margo Doble Schmidt, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT Kirkus Reviews A new series focuses on the adventures of four kids whose parents are professional paranormal investigators. Protagonist Poppy is logical and practical; her older sister Franny, vain; her older brother Will, lazy; and her younger brother Rolly, mischievous. 
They all find their folks exasperating, and Poppy finds her siblings so as well. Oddly, it is Poppy, the grounded one, who finds herself tracking down actual paranormal creatures: goblins. Their parents are distracted by exploring ley lines under their new home, preparing for an onslaught of vicious vampires chasing one of their colleagues and trying to make contact with a potential Dark Presence that Mrs. Malone senses in the house. These are all red herrings, for readers as well as Mr. and Mrs. Malone; the real story is the goblin troupe that kidnaps Rolly and leaves a goblin doppelganger in his place, after having observed the boy's extraordinary talent for getting into trouble. Poppy is likable and a good problem-solver, and the plot moves along swiftly. Unfortunately, the secondary characters, especially the siblings, are completely one-dimensional. Franny is so annoying that even reading about her becomes so; the same goes for Will. Rolly's tricks are funny, and he might make an interesting character if we get to know him a little better in subsequent stories. Needs a little more development all around. (Fantasy. 8-11)     
前言/序言
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					《星辰之歌:迷霧之地的探險者》   第一章:暮色降臨與古老的迴響  在大陸的西南邊緣,坐落著一個被時間遺忘的國度——艾爾德拉。這個地方終年籠罩在灰藍色的薄霧之中,傳說中,隻有最勇敢的靈魂纔能穿透這層迷霧,觸碰到隱藏在深處的真實。  故事的主人公是裏奧,一個瘦削卻眼神堅毅的少年,他並非生於貴族之傢,而是在邊境一座名為“寂靜之牆”的古老堡壘邊長大。寂靜之牆,顧名思義,是文明世界與“無聲之地”的界限,一道由黑色玄武岩築成的巨大屏障,據說能阻擋來自彼岸的某種無形侵蝕。裏奧的日常工作是維護堡壘外的風嚮標和監測塔上的火光,這份枯燥的工作卻讓他對外界的一切充滿瞭好奇。  一個深鞦的傍晚,當最後一抹夕陽被迷霧吞噬時,裏奧在例行巡邏中發現瞭一件異樣的事物。不是野獸的蹤跡,也不是走私者的信號,而是一段被風沙掩埋瞭不知多久的,由一種泛著微光的金屬鑄成的符文鎖鏈。鎖鏈很沉,帶著一股冰冷的、似乎能穿透骨髓的寒意。當他觸碰到它時,腦海中閃過一幅快速的畫麵:一片被閃電撕裂的天空,以及一個發齣低沉哀鳴的巨大身影。  裏奧知道,這東西絕非凡物。他小心翼翼地將鎖鏈藏在隨身的工具袋中,心跳如同戰鼓般擂響。他嚮導師,年邁的守塔人埃爾溫報告瞭情況,但埃爾溫隻是瞥瞭一眼那段鎖鏈,臉色瞬間變得煞白。  “把它扔迴你發現它的地方,孩子,”埃爾溫的聲音顫抖著,這是裏奧從未聽過的語調,“有些秘密,最好永遠沉睡。”  然而,裏奧的好奇心已經被徹底點燃。他深知,在艾爾德拉,禁忌往往是通往真相的唯一路徑。   第二章:無聲之地的召喚  接下來的幾周,裏奧開始利用夜間的間隙研究那段鎖鏈。他發現,鎖鏈上的符文似乎記錄著一種失傳已久的星辰曆法。他翻閱瞭堡壘圖書館中所有關於古代曆史和禁忌魔法的殘捲,終於在一部被稱為《星詠者的手稿》的典籍中找到瞭相似的記載。  手稿中描述瞭一個被稱為“編織者”的古老文明,他們掌握著駕馭星辰能量的技術,但在一場被稱為“大寂靜”的災難中突然消失。而裏奧手中的鎖鏈,正是編織者用來約束某種強大存在的“鎮魂索”的一部分。  手稿的最後一頁潦草地記載著一個警告:“當鎮魂索重現人間,意味著約束已然鬆動。若要阻止‘虛空之影’重臨,必須尋迴散落的‘引力之核’,並到達位於‘哭泣山脈’頂端的‘迴音祭壇’。”  哭泣山脈,那是無聲之地的核心區域,一片常年被劇烈風暴籠罩的險峻之地,那裏被認為沒有生命可以存活。  裏奧明白,如果埃爾溫說的是真的,那麼無聲之地並非一片死寂,而是在壓製著某種恐怖的存在。  他決定動身。  在一個月黑風高的夜晚,裏奧帶上瞭他的行囊:幾塊乾糧、一把老舊的摺疊刀、埃爾溫偷偷塞給他的半塊月光石(據說能微弱地指引方嚮),以及那段鎮魂索。他翻過瞭寂靜之牆最低的那段缺口,義無反顧地踏入瞭彌漫著濃厚白霧的無聲之地。   第三章:迷霧中的遭遇  無聲之地的第一感覺是“壓抑”。空氣異常沉重,聲音傳播得極其緩慢,仿佛所有的一切都被一層無形的粘稠物包裹著。裏奧不得不依靠月光石微弱的藍光來辨彆方嚮。  走瞭兩天,他不僅沒有看到任何動物的痕跡,連植物都顯得異常稀疏,隻有一種灰色的苔蘚附著在嶙峋的怪石上。就在他幾乎要放棄希望時,他聽到瞭聲音——不是低語,而是一種清脆的、有規律的敲擊聲。  他謹慎地靠近聲源,發現瞭一個躲在一個巨大岩石裂縫中的身影。那是一個看起來隻有十歲左右的女孩,名叫希拉。她穿著由獸皮和植物縴維編織而成的簡陋衣物,正用一塊燧石敲擊著一塊黑色的石頭,發齣他之前聽到的那種聲響。  希拉看到裏奧時,立刻警覺地舉起手中的石頭。她的眼睛是罕見的淺金色,在昏暗中閃爍著光芒。  “你是從‘牆外’來的?”希拉用一種帶著古老口音的方言問道。  裏奧花瞭很長時間纔讓她相信自己沒有惡意。希拉是“守火人”部落最後的幸存者,她的族人世代生活在無聲之地,負責維護著某些古代的平衡機製,防止“虛空之影”的力量蔓延。但如今,隻剩下她一人。  希拉告訴裏奧,鎮魂索的重現預示著一個災難性的事件即將發生——“大寂靜”正在解除。她也感知到瞭引力之核的存在,但它們被分散在無聲之地的三個“能量匯聚點”,每一個點都被某種強大的、扭麯的守護者看守著。  “單憑你一個人,走不到哭泣山脈的頂端。”希拉毫不客氣地說,“但如果你能幫我重建一座‘喚醒燈’,也許我們能有一綫生機。”  喚醒燈,是守火人用來短暫驅散迷霧,照亮古老路徑的裝置。   第四章:喚醒燈與熔岩深淵  在希拉的帶領下,裏奧和她前往瞭第一個能量匯聚點——“熔岩深淵”。這是一個被地熱活動常年烘烤的地區,空氣中彌漫著硫磺的味道。  第一個引力之核被睏在一座半熔岩化的古老神廟的中央。看守者並非實體生物,而是一團被扭麯引力場包裹的能量體,它以極高的速度在神廟內盤鏇,任何靠近的物體都會被瞬間撕碎。  “這是‘斥力之靈’,”希拉解釋道,“它不懼怕刀劍,隻有用純粹的平衡力量纔能壓製它。”  裏奧想起瞭他隨身攜帶的月光石。這種石頭據說是從隕石中提煉的,具有奇特的穩定屬性。他們沒有直接攻擊,而是製定瞭一個精巧的計劃。裏奧負責引開斥力之靈的注意,而希拉則利用她對當地能量流動的理解,在神廟的特定節點放置瞭三塊從自己部落遺跡中帶齣的穩定水晶。  當斥力之靈被裏奧的快速移動引至神廟邊緣時,希拉同時激活瞭水晶。三道柔和的光束交匯,瞬間形成瞭一個臨時的穩定區域。裏奧抓住這個韆載難逢的機會,衝進能量場中心,用鎮魂索的一段緊緊纏繞住瞭那個閃爍著微弱藍光的引力之核。  當核心被取走時,斥力之靈發齣一聲無聲的尖嘯,隨後便迅速消散瞭。神廟的熔岩活動也暫時平息下來。  他們成功取得瞭第一個核心。但隨後的旅程變得更加艱難。   第五章:冰霜迷宮與沉默的考驗  第二個能量匯聚點位於無聲之地的北部——“寒晶迷宮”。這是一個由巨大的、會緩慢移動的冰晶構成的復雜區域,溫度極低,足以凍僵血脈。  這裏的看守者是“迴音之獸”,一種能夠模仿任何聲音並利用聲音的震動來定位和攻擊的生物。它的存在讓希拉的“喚醒燈”計劃變得極其危險,因為任何發齣的聲音都可能引來攻擊。  他們必須依靠絕對的靜默通過迷宮。裏奧展現齣瞭驚人的忍耐力和觀察力。他發現迴音之獸的攻擊軌跡雖然難以預測,但它們對特定頻率的震動極為敏感。  希拉則需要依靠她祖先流傳下來的“心語”——一種極度細微的、通過觸覺傳遞的信息交流方式。裏奧必須完全信任希拉的指引。  在迷宮深處,他們遭遇瞭最嚴峻的考驗。迴音之獸模仿瞭埃爾溫的聲音,呼喚著裏奧的名字,聲音如此逼真,帶著老人的關切和焦急。裏奧幾乎要衝齣去迴應,但希拉死死地抓住瞭他的手臂,她的指尖在裏奧的皮膚上快速地寫著兩個字:“謊言。”  掙紮中,裏奧用盡全力將那段鎮魂索纏繞在瞭那個發齣聲音的冰晶核心上。核心被取齣後,迴音之獸發齣瞭刺耳的、完全失真的尖嘯,隨後整個迷宮的冰晶開始崩潰,嚮他們襲來。  在逃離的過程中,裏奧和希拉緊緊相依,終於在冰晶完全坍塌前衝齣瞭迷宮,帶著第二個引力之核。   第六章:攀登哭泣山脈  他們獲得瞭前往哭泣山脈的最後綫索。希拉的部落古籍中記載,第三個核心並不被看守,而是“被遺棄”,它位於山脈頂端迴音祭壇的下方,隻有集齊前兩個核心纔能激活通往那裏的路徑。  第三個核心的獲取,反而是最艱難的一步。哭泣山脈高聳入雲,風暴如同刀刃般切割著一切。當他們到達山腳時,發現山體上覆蓋著一層由古老魔法固化的閃電殘留物,普通攀爬根本不可能。  裏奧意識到,鎮魂索的完整形態或許就是解開這個謎題的關鍵。他用盡自己所有的力量,將兩段鎮魂索拼閤起來。當兩端對接時,金屬上閃耀的符文瞬間激活,發齣瞭一道穩定而強大的能量光束,直射嚮山頂。  這道光束擊中瞭山頂的迴音祭壇,瞬間,一道橫跨山體的、由純粹星光構成的“星梯”顯現齣來。  他們開始攀登。星梯的每一步都蘊含著古老的力量,但同時,山頂的“虛空之影”似乎也感受到瞭集結的力量,開始對他們進行精神上的衝擊。  裏奧和希拉的腦海中充斥著絕望、恐懼和無意義的囈語,這是“大寂靜”解除時,混沌力量的初步滲透。  希拉緊緊握住裏奧的手,用她僅存的意誌力,將關於她部落的記憶,關於艾爾德拉和平的信念,通過觸覺傳遞給裏奧。裏奧將這些信念化為攀登的力量。  終於,他們到達瞭祭壇。   尾聲:星辰的迴響  迴音祭壇,是一個巨大的圓形石颱,中央有一個凹槽,正好能容納引力之核。  裏奧將前兩個核心放入凹槽。祭壇開始嗡鳴,星梯的光芒更亮瞭。然後,他們找到瞭第三個核心——它並沒有被隱藏,而是靜靜地懸浮在祭壇的邊緣,等待著。  當三個核心全部歸位時,祭壇上的符文完全亮起。一道巨大的能量柱直衝天際,穿透瞭籠罩艾爾德拉的灰藍色迷霧,讓久違的星光照耀大地。  在星光之下,那股籠罩無聲之地的壓抑感瞬間消散瞭。  然而,虛空之影並未被完全驅散,它以一種無形的形態,試圖吞噬最後的光芒。  裏奧高舉著完整的鎮魂索,在希拉的指引下,將索鏈的另一端拋嚮瞭祭壇中心。鎮魂索自動纏繞,與三個核心、祭壇形成瞭一個復雜的、仍在運轉的能量場。  這股力量並非用來攻擊,而是“重塑寂靜”。鎮魂索激活瞭編織者留下的最後一道指令——重新校準無聲之地的能量屏障。  隨著一聲宏大而古老的“迴音”,所有的混亂能量被重新吸入屏障之中。迷霧開始退散,露齣瞭哭泣山脈真正壯麗的景象。  裏奧和希拉站在祭壇上,看著遠方邊境那道黑色的寂靜之牆,不再是恐懼的象徵,而是一個被穩定和守護的邊界。  他們沒有拯救世界免於一場大戰,而是以最古老的方式,修補瞭世界的裂痕。艾爾德拉的黎明,在無數星辰的迴響中,終於到來。裏奧和希拉,兩個來自邊緣的人,成為瞭這片土地上,真正意義上的探險者與守護者。他們的旅程纔剛剛開始,因為星辰之歌,需要新的歌者來傳唱。