The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe

Illustrated by Martina Heiduczek
LIST PRICE $9.99

About The Book

For the first printing only! This paperback features sprayed stenciled edges while the special edition supply lasts.

An abandoned girl discovers found family, epic adventure, and her own destiny aboard a cursed ship sailing toward an impossible treasure in this “fabulous magical quest, strange and wonderful” (Judith Rossell, author of The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls).

Lavender Wolfe’s world is small: her mother, the pockets they pick together, and the wharf where they scrape by day to day. But when Lavender is left waiting on the harbor steps, she is swept aboard the Good Marchioness—a magical pirate ship unlike any other.

The ship’s cook, Big Agatha, insists Lavender has been abandoned. Worse, she says Lavender has magic.

Now renamed Hans Whitby and recruited as a kitchen rat, Lavender finds herself among a crew of extraordinary children, a captain with a wing instead of an arm, a ghost-fetcher, a mysterious shell that was once a boy, and a curse that threatens to turn everyone aboard into sand. To break the curse, the crew must recover a stolen treasure before time runs out…

But as Lavender is drawn deeper into the ship’s secrets, she begins to wonder whether she has truly been stolen—or whether she has finally found where she belongs.

About The Author

Esther Visser

Karen Foxlee is an Australian author who writes for both children and young adults. Her books include Ophelia and the Marvelous BoyA Most Magical GirlLenny’s Book of EverythingDragon Skin, and The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe. Karen writes and lives in Queensland with her daughter, cats, and parrots.

About The Illustrator

Martina Heiduczek grew up in a small fishing village on the Baltic Sea in Germany, where she spent her time galloping through the forests on her Shetland pony, drawing, or reading. She now lives in Australia and works as an illustrator. Her work is inspired by nature, people, places, and the things she sees, both moving and silly. Visit her online at MartinaHeiduczek.com. 

Product Details

  • Publisher: Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (November 10, 2026)
  • Length: 400 pages
  • ISBN13: 9798347114788
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12

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Raves and Reviews

Shortlisted for the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Children’s Literature (Australia)

“A fabulous magical quest, strange and wonderful.”
Judith Rossell, author of The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls

“Exquisite . . . a marvel of imagination and adventure.” 
Jaclyn Moriarty, author of A Corner of White

“Foxlee crafts stories that read like classics.”
Booklist

“Foxlee’s writing is infused with a hint of magic.”
SLJ

“A present-day fairy tale that practically sparkles . . . a memorable and ultimately moving novel for young readers.” 
The Wall Street Journal on Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

“An enthralling adventure.”
The Bulletin (starred review) on A Most Magical Girl

“An imaginative and surprisingly tender story of the unbreakable bond between siblings.”
Booklist (starred review) on Lenny’s Book of Everything

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