When Sofia sees shadow-monsters on her wall at night, her parents dismiss her fears as silly. When she tries to draw her monsters at school, her teacher tells her to stop wasting paper and draw flowers instead. Sad and lonely, her heart broken in two, Sofia leaves school and enters a mysterious world where a Heartmender waits to make her heart whole again.

Sofia's journey leads her to face her fears until they fade away. Strengthened by her visit to the compassionate Heartmender, she returns to the real world, confident that the shadow-monsters are no longer a threat, ready to speak up for herself to her parents and teachers, and hopeful that the adults in her life will respect her feelings--because she respects herself.

In the literary tradition of "A Wrinkle in Time" and "The Chronicles of Narnia, Sofia and the Heartmender" blends fantasy and fiction to show that anything is possible, even healing a broken heart. Beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated, this story of a young girl's search for self-esteem will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

Marie Olofsdotter is an artist, poet, author, and illustrator of many books for children. "Sofia and the Heartmender" was honored with a Mid-America Publishers Award, a Benjamin Franklin Silver Award, and a Skipping Stones Honor Award, and was selected as a Parents Council Book. Olofsdotter has been working as a creative consultant and an artist-in-residence for over fifteen years. A native of Sweden, she lives near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota.