Astara, the new Fairy Queen, is faced with her first challenge: the ice in the High Hills is spreading towards the fairy forest, killing a lot of the plants and animals that live there. The ice is being spread by hobyahs, icy monsters that live in the glaciers, and the only way to fight them is with the Emerald of Life, a magical gem held by a gryphon, a giant animal that lives on the Glittering Plains and has not spoken or moved for thousands of years. To make matters worse, while Astara is trying to work out how to make the gryphon give her the magic emerald, her friend the Moon Fairy and her little moonbeams are kidnapped by the willowykes, nasty tree-like creatures that live by lakes and bogs. Lukily, Astara meets some very kind friends along the way who help her achieve her goals, and peace is restored to Faraway Island once again Teachers's guide and fun activities available to download from the website www.farawayfairies.com.au