Rondo (series)

The Rondo series is a children's fantasy novel trilogy written by Jennifer Rowe under the pen name Emily Rodda.

The Key to Rondo is the first book of the Rondo trilogy.

After Leo's Great Aunt Bethany died, Leo received a family heirloom - an elaborate music box. There are four rules to the box: never wind the box while the music plays, never turn the key more than three times, never move the box before the music stops, and never close the lid until the music has stopped. Leo, being the predictable, responsible boy he was, never even considered breaking the rules. And if he hadn't, perhaps for the rest of his life, the music box would remain just that - a music box. Yet no one expected Mimi Langlander to enter the equation.

Shortly after, Leo's cousin Mimi, along with her beloved dog arrived. Mimi was sour, sarcastic and short-tempered; therefore it came as no surprise that she was friendless. Even her own family couldn't stand her, Leo included. Things were exacerbated when Mimi, disregarding the rules, winded the music box four times. Out stepped the evil Blue Queen, who introduced the kingdom of Rondo, the world inside the music box, to the Langlander cousins. The Blue Queen informed the cousins that for generations, Langlanders have traveled to Rondo using the Key of Rondo, which allows them entry to both worlds. The Blue Queen then attempted to lure the Langlanders into Rondo, and when they refused, stole Mimi's dog Mutt back into Rondo, leaving the 'Key', a ring, behind.

Heartbroken and distressed by the loss of her dog, Mimi took the 'Key', despite Leo's warnings, and entered Rondo. What Mimi hadn't counted on was Leo, who'd made a desperate attempt to stop his cousin, being brought along into Rondo. As Mimi refuses to return to her world without Mutt, Leo decides to join Mimi in her quest to retrieve her dog. In the process, they exposed several ancient secrets, defeated the Blue Queen, recovered Mutt the dog, and discovered the real Key; a pendant Mimi inherited from her Great Aunt Bethany. With that Key, Mimi, Leo and Mutt, after exchanging farewells with their new friends, traveled back to their world.

The Wizard of Rondo is the second book in the Rondo series. It was published in 2008. It is the sequel to The Key to Rondo and is followed by The Battle for Rondo

The book's main characters are Leo and Mimi. They have a magical music box that can transport them to the world of Rondo, with the help of the key to Rondo, a medallion and necklace that contains the "hair" of the tip of the brush that painted the music box's beautiful sides as the world of Rondo's landscapes, and other than transporting one from the world and back to our own, it also gives the ability to the wearer to change everything they want to. But that power should not be misused.

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