The Goodfellow Chronicles, Book 2: The Messengers

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

The Messengers is a fantasy, mystery, and quest story all rolled into
one. It centres on 11-year-old Sam Middleton, his family and friends,
and The Sage—tiny creatures, some of whom are hundreds of years old,
whose mission it is to provide inspiration to gifted humans. Disguised
as mice, The Sage move about the world of humans freely, largely
escaping detection. The bond formed between a Sage and his human is
known as The Sacred Seal.

As Book 2 begins, Sam has received some disturbing news: Jolly
Goodfellow and his nephew, Edgar, two of The Sage currently in England
investigating the disappearance of Professor Hawthorne, have also
vanished. These strange disappearances appear to be linked to the quest
for an ancient, legendary scroll (also missing), which in turn seems
connected to the appearance of mysterious crop circles. As Sam and his
friend Fletcher seek to unravel these mysteries, they (and we) learn
that they aren’t the only ones searching. The evil Professor Mandrake
and his despicable son, Basil, aided by The Fen, are not far behind.

Eventually Sam, Professor Hawthorne, and The Sage are reunited, and
together they journey to a world within a world. There, old mysteries
are explained, but new ones are created, suggesting that further
chronicles are to follow.

According to the publisher’s note, The Messengers is intended for
young-adult audiences. While the vocabulary and humour are somewhat
sophisticated, the simple conflict between good and evil, the age of the
hero, and the illustrations, especially of the mousesuit-clad Sage,
suggest that it might be more appropriate for younger children.

For anyone without the benefit of having read The Goodfellow
Chronicles, Book 1: The Sacred Seal much in The Messengers is confusing.
References to incidents and characters described in the earlier volume
are puzzling. The greatest enjoyment might come from using The Sacred
Seal as a read-aloud, with The Messengers read independently as a
follow-up. Recommended with reservations.