In his new home, a young boy finds twelve old wooden soldiers with definite personalities and a fascinating history that once belonged to the famous Bronte ̈children. Max has a secret. An incredible, mysterious, overwhelming secret. When he discovered a cache of old wooden soldiers in his family's new attic, he thought they were fun and all but nothing particularly special. Sure, his dad said that may be over a hundred years old, but that still wasn't too shocking. No, it was the fact that the soldiers were alive. Magnificently alive. Finding himself now a benevolent deity to a crew of twelve lively individuals, Max befriends his tiny pals and discovers their secrets. They were once the property of the Bronte children, years and years ago. Their exploits have been well recorded in "History of the Young Men" (by Branwell Bronte) and their names and personalities established therein. Yet when an American collector offers a high price for the Twelves, wherever they might be, Max finds his new friends threatened and acts of heroism and derring-do quickly follow.