Nathalie M. Leblanc “IS” a superb Canadian writer of children’s fantasy. Her first book in the Magic Coat Series entitled “Shrinking Forward” is a must read for any fantasy enthusiast age 8-12. It’s a book you won’t want to put down until you reach the very end … and then you’ll be wanting more.


Leblanc skillfully engages us in a monumental struggle where the fate of an entire civilization rests on the small shoulders of Samantha, her best friend Catherine and a fairy queen. Staying completely true to the genre, Leblanc doesn’t shy away from tragedy and demonstrates that “sometimes” good can only be accomplished with a bit of sacrifice.

Her style, her prose, her characters, her plot all mesh together in a well thought-out and balanced journey through an alternate world. The protagonist, Samantha, is thrust into an unimaginable adventure where trust, friendship and determination are the only things pushing her forward, even when the odds are completely against her. It is a journey of self-discovery that helps define who she is, where she came from and why she always felt a little bit different than her friends. All Leblanc's characters have very believeable personalities which adds to the enjoyment of the story.

Leblanc’s first book in the series depicts the true meaning of the genre “heroic or quest fantasy” which allows her the advantage of sending her fictional characters into adventures that are virtually endless. These stories are very popular with young children as the extraordinary events only happen in the secondary world and the primary world continues to be a safe and normal haven. Will Samantha triumph over good and evil or will it be just too much for her young age to handle?