Small wonders and magic are close at hand in the sixteen short stories in this collection. Many, but not all, of the stories do deal with childhood and the unformed longings and tiny but lasting traumas generated by the process of growing up. Many, but not all, of the stories incorporate some elements of magical realism or science fiction, but all of them avoid gimmicks and cliché. Klages demonstrates a wise, often wry, outlook on the vagaries of human relationships and a wide range of writing ability.

Stand-outs in the collection include the sci-fi inflected “Time Gypies,” in which a woman travels to the past and meets her childhood idol; “In the House of the Seven Librarians,” a gentle and wise fairy-tale influenced story about a young girl raised by ‘feral librarians;’ and the title story, “Portable Childhoods,” a moving reflection on the bonds between a mother and daughter. ( )

I *love* this book. I find myself thinking of the stories long after I've read them. Entertaining, enjoyable, and not always predictable. ( )