Not Quite Eighteen

A charming collection of stories about children who are not quite grown up but far from little, these tales tumble between whimsy and wisdom with the easy confidence of a summer afternoon. A pony opens a shop, young minds wander through unfinished fairy tales, and presence of mind becomes the stuff of adventure. Susan Coolidge understands that the years between childhood and adulthood hold their own particular magic: the permission to dream impossibly, to stumble toward bravery, to imagine oneself older while still wearing the soft armor of youth. These are not didactic fables but lived-in moments where young people discover who they might become. The collection speaks to that liminal space where imagination runsriot and the world seems both vast and strangely tractable. Perfect for readers who have outgrown picture books but aren't ready for the weight of adult fiction.