Luminara is a world built on imagination. Each one of its people, the “Lumies,” has their own “Phanta,” a small, winged being that helps manifest their thoughts into reality. Young Ayla, however, is the exception. She was born without a Phanta, making her a target of ridicule by kids who claim she has no imagination. Her only recourse is a long shot: finding the legendary Phanta Tree, the place where Phantas are born. With her parents’ reluctant consent, Ayla heads into the forest. She encounters several otherworldly “guardians” (one with silvery, sapphire-blue fur) who take her to such fantastic sites as the River of Imagination. While she hopes to find her own Phanta at the fabled tree, Ayla herself may be a guide; a big change is coming for the Lumies, and this unique girl will use her foresight and whatever confidence she can muster to help them through it. Orlowski’s novella overflows with charm and emotion. Ayla unquestionably goes through a lot, but also learns inspiring lessons (being different is okay; acknowledging fear can bring out the courage to overcome it). The author doesn’t linger on the bullies’ cruelty, shifting focus instead to uplifting characters including Ayla’s empathetic parents, her gadget-tinkering great-grandfather, and her only friend, Elior, a boy who listens as often as he encourages. Characters flaunt their “imaginara,” inspiring dreamlike imagery like illuminated threads that form shapes. Ayla’s journey into the forest is the highlight: “Trees stretched in impossible ways, their branches looping like ribbons in the breeze… Floating lantern-fish bobbed lazily in the air, their bellies glowing with tiny constellations.” Most readers will be able to knock this story out in an afternoon—and find that it’s definitely one worth reading again.
