Adventure in the Floating Mountains

Strangeworlds Travel Agency

by L.D. Lapinski

It is the once-every-century Cloud-Wish Festival in the magical world of Strofadia, and Flick and Jonathan have travelled via suitcase to be a part of it.

Strofadia is a land of flight and fantasy, where the people are born with wings and the great floating mountains are seen as the source of fantastic power. There are three floating mountains, with the largest being known as the home of the great Cloud Dragon – keeper of magic and granter of wishes. The people of Strofadia take their magical wishes (in the form of a physical bead-like object) to the dragon, in the hopes that the wish will be granted at the end of the festival when the dragon appears.

Flick and Jonathan have fun exploring Strofadia, but when the moons rise, there is no sign of movement from the mountain.

Will Flick and Jonathan be able to find out what happened to the dragon and save the festival and the land of Strofadia from disaster?

A 2023 World Book Day Title

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Queer

96 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2023

About the author

L. D. Lapinski is the best-selling author of JAMIE, Stepfather Christmas, and The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series, including Adventure in the Floating Mountains, which was a 2023 World Book Day title. JAMIE was nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.

L. D's new middle-grade fantasy series ARTEZANS launches in February 2024 with the first book Artezans: The Forgotten Magic.

L. D.'s books are published around the world in fifteen languages, and each book in the Strangeworlds trilogy has been awarded a Kirkus star - one of the most coveted designations in the book industry,
marking books of exceptional merit.

L. D. Lapinski lives just outside Sherwood Forest with their family, a lot of books, and a cat called Hector. L. D. first wrote a book aged seven; it was made of lined paper and sellotape, and it was about a frog who owned an aeroplane. When L. D. grows up, they want to be a free-range guinea pig farmer.

L. D.'s literary agent is Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge and White Literary Agency. For Film / TV, contact Emily Hayward Whitlock.

Twitter / Instagram / TikTok: @ldlapinski

Reviews

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully delightful short story! Children are so lucky to have this be a world book day choice <3

I adore the Strangeworlds universe and I just needed to get a copy of this myself while I wait for my local library to get book 3 in. Just a perfect little companion story. Writing a short story while keeping suspense, world building all while introducing the series to newcomers in such a great way is a real talent! There was adventure, but so much world building that made the new world feel alive and real all packed into 52 pages! Nothing even felt rushed at all, it was paced really well.

Just more proof that L. D. Lapinski is certainly one of the best childrens writers of our time!

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAWPILE 6.14
3.5 STARS

A short story published for World Book Day 2023.
A sweet, short, cute little story featuring an adorable dragon.
Lovely little addition to the series- just the Christmas book to go until I can mark this series as complete.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all things Strangeworlds so when I heard about this WBD book I just had to grab one. I was lucky enough that L.D. saw my plea for a copy in Canada and pointed in me in the direction of website that would ship to me. I am so glad I did because this was more adventure in the Strangeworlds universe and I want a million more. I loved the premise and of course the Cloud Dragon. I want to eat all the delicious treats from Strofadia (especially a Snowstorm-on-a-Stick) and have a chance to fly with the dragonfly like wings of a rig. Magic!!

[Nick Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a wonderful trilogy and a Christmas special, it was amazing to have an extra bonus visit to the Strangeworlds Travel Agency! Such a great, magical story packed into the small WBD book format, and not lacking any of the imagination and joy of the main series.

As with all these books, my favourite part is the world-building for all the magical lands that the characters travel to, and Strofadia is no exception. A fantastic new world with some new and unique characters made it a real joy to be back in this multiverse!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I've not read The Strangeworlds Travel Agency novels but after reading this I think I'll have to. This is just such a fun, whimsical and adventurous story. I also really like the dynamic between Flick and Jonathan - especially as it seems that Jonathan is 18 (says in 100 years he'd be 118). It's nice to see friendships in books between younger people in different age groups. I also liked the trans rep with Jonathan wearing his binder and Sora using they/them pronouns.

[Fi's Journey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this companion book to the Strangeworlds Agency series. It’s short (as it is for World Book Day) but has all the entertaining fun from the other three books.

I liked the concept of wishes having weight and that you have enough time to make your own wishes/dreams come true by taking your own action.

I think I like to read the Christmas story as well.

[Ava Tribe-Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good and I read it really fast (reading it in one day) but I felt like it could have so much more to give though I have never been a big fan of the world book day books they are always a bit boring and I would only ever read them once but yeah would not read this book again.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read this series with Violet for a long time so this World Book Day mini book was the perfect introduction. So imaginative, I loved the world-building. And the subtle nod to inclusivity and representation was absolutely fantastic.

[Dreximgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved being able to have one more adventure with Flick and Jonathan. This was a perfect read for a lazy Saturday morning.

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved a wee short story to meet Flick and Jonathan again. A stepping stone back into the magical Strangeworlds agency.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read but too short to really get into it.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up during world book week for my 6 year old. It’s a great short read with a fun world to visit and a good book to help expand his vocabulary.

[Su Yin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little world book day ‘bonus book’ is such a nice, cute adventure and it’s a bit of a break from all the drama and adventure in the normal series; it’s a little tale of friendship and magic.

[Fairy Biba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little, around 50 pages, but cute. Really well written and fantasious, I think a kid could really like it! I suggest it

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, quick read (one sitting!), full of magic and friendship

[Elina Purmonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vilket kärt återseende för mig, men också vilken söt liten novell som kan locka till läsningen av trilogin om Flick, Jonathan och Resebyrån Främmande världar. 🥰