Book excerpt: Jeremy is the son of the leader of the village of Bald Rock. One day his father asks Jeremy to find a place for Mildred, a young woman who’s turned up and taken over an abandoned house. Mildred tells Jeremy she wants to turn the house in a place where ballads are kept, a “Ballad House.” He’s talked into helping her, along with three other young people in the village. The five form The Order of The Ballad House, and set about remembering and writing the tales they’ve heard. What starts as a diversion from village life becomes more than Jeremy ever dreamed possible. He’ll encounter magic and monsters, and feel fear and love. His world will be turned upside-down because of Mildred, the Ballad Girl.