I've been on a quest to figure out the name of the first book that got me interested in fantasy... Here's what I can remember:
A boy and girl, possibly prince & princess, are playing in a garden and are told not to leave/go into the forest, of course they do,
The boy gets captured I think, and the girl has to do several tasks, one involving keeping a fire burning and not leaving it, but she does to get more wood,
Also there was some task about a silver tear, and it turns out to be her own tear, that she cries because she can't relax and join the moonlady?

Also most likely since that was in my "I heart pink" era the cover must have had some pink on it, hardback, probably not too big, since I was a non-fiction reader at the time and was avoiding fiction mostly.

If anyone can help, I'll be in your debt.

Thanks!

This sounds vaguely like a terry pratchett book I read... did she have to sweep and keep sweeping the same room and it never got clean?? I think it was terry pratchett, could be well off the mark though!

Well I checked out all of his books and none of them seem right. Also I don't remember any unsweepable room, but that's not to say it wasn't there. Thanks for the input. I really wish I remembered more.

This book sounds familiar. I wonder if it could have been a George MacDonald story. He wrote several children's books in the fairy tale tradition.

That does sound familiar, but I can't place it. There are some great books published by Lee and Low that you might like. I would say they're some of the <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com">best books for children</a> around.

That does sound familiar, but I can't place it. There are some great books published by Lee and Low that you might like. I would say they're some of the <a href="http://www.leeandlow.com">best books for children</a> around.

It's the Snow Queen d'oh