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Editorial Content for The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Katherine Szabo

Brian Farrey's THE SECRET OF DREADWILLOW CARSE is a short-but-sweet fantasy tale for middle-grade readers that would be a perfect jumping-off point for young readers in this genre. This novel tells the story of a 12-year-old princess named Jeniah whose mother, the queen, has fallen ill. Jeniah is told that she must never enter the mysterious place called Dreadwillow Carse --- if she does, the monarchy will fall. Read More

Teaser

In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a black and desolate bog that little is known about it, except for one dire warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could possibly conceal that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign of peace and prosperity. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Emberfell, where everyone lives with unending joy, a girl named Aon hides a sorrow she can never reveal. She knows that something in the carse --- something that sings a haunting tune only Aon can hear--holds the cure for her sadness. After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah and Aon hatch a plan to send Aon into the heart of the carse to unlock its darkest secret. But when Aon doesn’t return, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must enter the carse to try and rescue her friend--even if it means risking the entire Monarchy.

Promo

In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a black and desolate bog that little is known about it, except for one dire warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could possibly conceal that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign of peace and prosperity. Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Emberfell, where everyone lives with unending joy, a girl named Aon hides a sorrow she can never reveal. She knows that something in the carse --- something that sings a haunting tune only Aon can hear--holds the cure for her sadness. After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah and Aon hatch a plan to send Aon into the heart of the carse to unlock its darkest secret. But when Aon doesn’t return, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must enter the carse to try and rescue her friend--even if it means risking the entire Monarchy.

About the Book

A princess and a peasant girl must embark on a dangerous quest to outwit a centuries-old warning foretelling the fall of the Monarchy in this thrilling modern fairytale.
 
In the center of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a black and desolate bog that the happy people of the land do their best to ignore. Little is known about it, except for one dire warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could possibly conceal that might topple her family’s thousand-year reign of peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Emberfell, where everyone lives with unending joy, a girl named Aon hides a sorrow she can never reveal. She knows that something in the carse --- something that sings a haunting tune only Aon can hear--holds the cure for her sadness. Yet no matter how many times she tries to enter, the terror-inducing dreadwillow trees keep her away.

After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah and Aon hatch a plan to send Aon into the heart of the carse to unlock its darkest secret. But when Aon doesn’t return, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must enter the carse to try and rescue her friend--even if it means risking the entire Monarchy.

THE SECRET OF DREADWILLON CARSE weaves together classic fairy-tale elements --- a princess, a forbidden land and a dangerous quest--in a clever, fast-paced adventure that explores the importance of asking questions and the power of friendship.

2016 Pulitzer Prizes

The 100th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Letters, Drama and Music, awarded on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize Board, were announced on April 18, 2016.

Lady Bird Johnson

The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.

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Lady Bird Johnson

Sophie Cleverly

 
Sophie Cleverly began writing Scarlet and Ivy in her second year at university, where she studied Creative Writing. She knew she had to finish telling the story, and when she heard that the university offered an MA in Writing For Young People she realized it was the perfect opportunity. She lives in Wiltshire, England. This is her debut.
As far as inspirations are concerned, Sophie Cleverly was lucky enough to have an abundance of likeable and not so likeable characters to draw ideas from for her new book THE LOST TWIN. In this post, Murphy explores a list of her favorite childhood reads and characters that were always in the forefront of her mind while crafting this baffling mystery. From classics like MATILDA to the not so well known novels like MOONDIAL, Cleverly examines the dynamics of every influential villain and protagonist that lead her to Scarlet and Ivy. 

Chris Gall

Chris Gall is the award-winning author and illustrator of DOG VS. CAT, AWESOME DAWSON, REVENGE OF THE DINOTRUX, SUBSTITUTE CREACHER, and DINOTRUX, a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book. He is also the illustrator of AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL, another Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Most children are easily mesmerized by shiny new cars and toys, but for Chris Gall, the creator of the Dinotrux series, it was never about the finished product. From television remotes to tonka trucks, Gall was always more interested in disassembling the parts that made up a whole. Discovering the intricacies and mechanics of each and every pulley or wheel was vital to building something great. In this post, Gall explains however fantastical his collaberation of trucks and dinosaurs may seem, there is something masterful in building unconventionally. 

April 21, 2016

This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we know people will be talking about this spring. Read more about it, and enter our Spring Preview Contest by Friday, April 22nd at 11:59am ET for a chance to win one of five copies of HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, which releases on April 26th. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!

Ages 7-10
 
Welcome to the Amazing Automated Inn, home of twelve-year-old inventor Wally Kennewickett, his genius scientist parents and his dashing dog, Noodles. From the lightning harvester on the roof to the labs full of experiments in the dungeon, the inn is a wonderful place for a curious boy and his loyal dog to live.

Tracy K. Smith

For me, a poem is an opportunity to kind of interrogate myself a little bit.

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Tracy K. Smith