The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwabi - ADVISABLE

The Village Beyond the Mist by Sachiko Kashiwabi, translated from Japanese by Avery Fischer Udagawa, 146 pages. Restless Books (Yonder) 2025 $18. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

6th grader Lina travels alone to a rural village (at her fathers request) to spend the summer. She expects to be met by someone, but only finds her destination, Absurd Avenue, through a series of strange circumstances, then finds that the boarding house she lives in requires her to work for her board - Mrs. Picotto won't accept Lena's father's money. So Lina takes jobs assigned to her, helping out in several shops, learning about the people on the village and how to be a real friend. 

Originally published in Japan in 1975, it feels very Pippi Longstocking to me. I love the stories of Sachiko Kashiwabi (see Temple Alley Summer) and I was delighted with each new quest. I love Lina's attitude and the characters she comes in contact with. The bits of magic are fun as well. As with most books originally published outside the US, it's not for everyone, however, if you have readers that are Studio Ghibli fans, this is the text Hayao Miyazaki used as inspiration for Spirited Away. The characters are Japanese. 

Lisa Librarian