"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."-- Ann PatchettFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians comes a must-read, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.Dear Uncle Herbert,You''ve never met me, but I''m your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?Kate and her younger brother Tom lead dull, uninteresting livesAnd if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don''t have much to look forward to. Why can''t Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane -- that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she''s never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow.Kate and Tom''s