Stillwart and the Southern Fairies

by Scott Butcher

Meet Stillwart, a Pixie foundling, rescued and raised by old Fiona, who was once Queen of the Southern Fairies. When Fiona brought the withered grain home that contained the pixie, the other fairies thought she was crazy.

The little pixie was ugly and brown, not glittery and golden, but Fiona didn’t care. It’s possible the old Queen’s eyesight had been failing her; it’s also possible that Fiona wasn’t as doddery as the fairies thought.

Willful and rude, fearless and practical, Stillwart the pixie would change the Southern Fairies forever.

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[L.F. Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tale about Fairies and the tiny world they live in. Butcher's style of narration welcomes you into the lives of the wee Faerie Folk,and their treatment of one of their own who is quite different from the rest. A great story to read to the children at bed time, or for the older ones to enjoy on their own, you will be sure to want to get the rest of the series. I know this reader can't wait for the next book.

[Laura Emmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read STILLWART AND THE SOUTHERN FAIRIES with my nearly ten-year old son, Matt. After we finished it, his first words were, "So where's the second book?" He said it was "really cool!" His favorite parts (remember he's almost ten and a boy) were at the cinema when the possums showed up with caterpillar remains on their faces and when Appleblossum let the tarantula loose in the Halloween maze to "add authenticity" and it ate a family of shrews.

My favorite part was the depth of Stillwart's character. We feel her pain at being left out and discriminated. We feel her disappointment at not getting the recognition she deserved for the cinema, animal relations, and all the hard work she did. I love the fact that she kept on going anyway. I can hardly wait to find out how she fares in the North with her own kind.

This is a good book for children who may feel different than their peers and need reminding that everyone has value. In the case of Stillwart, she was brown and not golden, but had strength and wisdom far beyond the other youth in her community. Matt is in a wheelchair and he identified immediately with Stillwart. She became an inspiration to him.

[M.J. Fahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet, warm feel-good tale that will leave all those reading it with a rosy glow. Ancient Fiona, retired queen of the Southern Fairies, rears an ugly pixie instead of the usual golden glittering fairy. Is she losing her marbles? ... Mm, perhaps not. Stillwart, the pixie, copes with feelings of inferiority and loneliness in such a natural way, that children will empathise with her immediately.
I smiled at the animals queuing for the cinema, and the struggle to stop them eating each other! Very well done. Mr Sooty is a character I really warmed to, full of the infinite wisdom which only an owl can possess. That being said, I would've liked a little more description of the surroundings/buildings? where the fairy-folk live. All-in-all, a lovely read, and I'll definitely read other books in this series.

[Lisa Toohey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Stillwart and the Southern Fairies in a single sitting, and loved every second of it! The story is charming, and captivating, the character of Stillwart is spunky but with a heart, the morals she teaches the fairies are the same ones I think everyone today could do well to emulate. I can't wait to see what the second chronicle holds for my favorite little pixie with a heart of gold, that neither sparkles or glows!