Jan is moping in the garden when Tiki is accidentally 'earthed' on her big toe. Being 'earthed' for a fairy means that she can be seen, and Tiki has just broken one of the most important fairy rules. For fairies are forbidden to make contact with people, because they always want magic favours. Jan, of course, wants a very special one, and Tiki longs to help - but she is up against the dark power of the Fairy Queen, who is already annoyed with her for wearing jeans...

Lynne Reid Banks is a bestselling author for children and adults. Her classic children's novel, The Indian in the Cupboard, has sold over ten million copies worldwide and was made into a highly successful feature film. She was born in London in 1929 and later became one of the first women TV news reporters in Britain. Lynne has now written forty books. Her first, The L-Shaped Room, was published in 1960. She lives with her husband in Dorset, England.