SCARY STORIES FOR YOUNG FOXES

*Newbery Honor-Winner*

Booklist’s Best of 2019

Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Watch the book trailer here

Reviews:

“Into the finest tradition of storytelling steps Christian McKay Heidicker with these highly original, bone-chilling, and ultimately heart-warming stories.”—Kathi Appelt, Newbery honoree and National Book Award finalist

🌟 “Kids able to brave the harrowing adventures of Mia and Uly are in for a chilling roller coaster of a read.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Terrifying and wonderful. A nightmare book you’ll want to return to repeatedly.” —School Library Journal

“Dark and skillfully distressing, this is a story for the bold.” —Kirkus Reviews

"[Heidicker has] written the next Watership Bloody Down." --Jessica Day George, New York Times-bestselling author of Tuesdays at the Castle

Description:

The haunted season has arrived in the Antler Wood. No fox kit is safe.

When Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they stumble into a dangerous world full of monsters. In order to find a den to call home, they must venture through field, swamp, and forest, facing unspeakable things that dwell in the darkness: a zombie who hungers for their flesh, a witch who tries to steal their skins, a ghost who hunts them through the snow, and other things too scary to mention here. 

Featuring eight interconnected stories and sixteen hauntingly beautiful illustrations, Scary Stories for Young Foxes contains all the adventure and thrills you'll love to listen to beside a campfire or when the moon is bright.

Fans of Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Auxier, and R. L. Stine have found their next favorite book.

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SCARY STORIES FOR YOUNG FOXES: THE CITY

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Reviews:

“Heidicker’s writing continues to shine . . . A fur-raising adventure . . . A triumphant end.” —Kirkus

“A frightfully accomplished companion novel that stands on its own.” —Booklist

“Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox or Sara Pennypacker’s Pax.” —SLJ

Description:

A frightened Stranger staggers through the Twisted Antler Wood, wounded deep and mumbling, his pawprints filled with blood.

Three young foxes sniff him out within the winter glow. They listen to his gasping tale beneath the falling snow.

A Barn holds swaying secrets, hung and dripping from its eaves. A shade plucks foxes from the night, invisible as leaves.

The Ragged waits for helpless things while grinning in its tomb. A cold Machine grinds foxes up and drools them in the gloom.

The clicking teeth of hollow hounds resound down empty streets. The Ladies smear their faces white and lure kits with their sweets.

A figure gathers paws and eyes with nimble rubber hands. And foxes wake to metal scrapes, their limbs pinned down by bands.

Three young foxes knead the ground, uncertain what to do. Will turning tail save your hide when the stories come for you?

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THIEVES OF WEIRDWOOD

BCCB’s 2020 Blue Ribbon Recipient

Reviews:

"With dazzling wit and enough spooky adventure for this and any alternate universe, Thieves of Weirdwood thrills to the last page. Startling, original and epic." —Eoin Colfer, creator of Artemis Fowl

“ . . . it will delight and satiate those besotted with Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, Miss Peregrine, the Spiderwicks.” —The New York Times

🌟“Wally’s friend Breeth, an intrepid, pun-loving child ghost who can occupy any organic item, is just one scene-stealer in the unusually colorful supporting cast.” —Booklist (starred review)

“This series opener's both funny and well paced, and the worldbuilding is fantastic, with information emerging about Mirror Kingsport at the same time new oddities arise. Even with so much happening, character development is splendid.” —Kirkus Reviews

"With a good dose of comedy, a dash of self-awareness, and some riveting plot twists, this book is unique and hilarious." —BCCB

"A mysterious magical enchanting tale brimming with creative spirit." —J.C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Runner 

"An imaginative, page-turning adventure filled with chilling creatures and lovable characters that kept me guessing through every twist and turn." —Shannon Messenger, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of the Lost Cities 

Description:

Beware your imagination.

Twelve-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally are determined to steal their way up the ranks of the notorious Black Feathers gang. With loan sharks chasing after Arthur’s father and Wally’s brother’s hospital bill due, they’re in need of serious cash. Fast.

When Arthur spots some wealthy strangers exiting a seemingly deserted mansion, he smells an opportunity for a big score. Little do the boys realize, they’ve stumbled upon Weirdwood Manor, the headquarters of a magical order who protect the Balance between the Real and Imaginary worlds. When Kingsport is besieged by nightmarish creatures, it’s up to a pair of thieves to save their city. Filled with giant tentacle monsters and heroes literally ripped from the pages of adventure stories, this imagination-bending series is perfect for fans of Keeper of the Lost Cities, Aru Shah, and Nevermoor.

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GHOST OF WEIRDWOOD

Reviews:

“This second action-packed Weirdwood adventure is as exciting as the first . . . The villains are fantastic [and] the book addresses grief in an age-appropriate, accessible way. The plot twists and the cliffhanger ending will have readers clamoring for more.” —Kirkus

“Heidicker treats readers to some involved character development . . . Fans of the first title can rest easy knowing this is a worthy successor.” —BCCB

Description:

Fresh off of heroically saving their city from nightmarish monsters, 12-year-old reformed thieves Arthur and Wally are determined to become Novitiates of the Wardens of Weirdwood—defenders of the border between the Real and Imaginary worlds.

Their mission: defeat the Order of Eldar, a shadowy group that exploits the creatures of the Fae for their own gain. When the Order opens what seems to be a Rift between the worlds of the living and the dead, they set up a menagerie of ghosts to make money off those grieving for their lost loved ones. As spirits begin to cross over into Kingsport, Arthur, Wally, and their ghost companion, Breeth, will have to return a fleet of dead souls to the other side of the Veil.

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ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WALLFLOWER

Reviews:

🌟"This high-concept meta-narrative works on multiple levels, from its good-natured ribbing of common tropes (like “the gay girl always dies”) to its commentary on female agency, but more importantly, it’s frightfully fun." -Booklist (starred review)

🌟"50s B-movie just right…a satisfying mix of mild adolescent angst and creature feature comedy." -Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books (starred review)

“Phoebe is a plucky, snarky heroine, and her fantastic adventure will entertain teens…A fluffy romp with heart and action.” -Kirkus Reviews

"This book is wild, weird, hilarious, heartfelt, imaginative, and inventive. The spirit of Kurt Vonnegut is alive and well in its pages." -Jeff Zentner (award-winning author of The Serpent King)

Description:

Phoebe Darrow is a lightning rod for monsters.

She and her mom are forced to flee flesh-eating plants, blobs from outer space, and radioactive ants. They survive thanks to Phoebe’s dad—an invisible titan, whose giant eyes warn them where the next monster attack will take place.

All Phoebe wants is to stop running from motel to motel and start living a monster-free life in New York or Paris. But when her mom mysteriously vanishes, Phoebe is left to fend for herself in small-town Pennybrooke.

That's when Phoebe starts to transform . . .

Christian McKay Heidicker returns with a book unlike any other, challenging perceived notions of beauty, identity, and what it means to be a monster.

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CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE

Reviews:

"A plugged-in young adult comedy about the pain of unplugging . . . perfect for teen gamers and readers who are fans of Jesse Andrews and John Green." -School Library Journal

"Heidicker’s debut crackles with twitchy energy . . . a fun, absurdist romp through gaming culture, populated by zany characters and a quest narrative worthy of its own game." -Booklist

". . . where the novel really shines is in Jaxon's interactions—as a white, upper-middle-class boy—with campmates who are diverse in terms of both ethnicity and sexuality, and who challenge some of his preexisting assumptions. In confronting Jaxon's privilege and complicated family history, the book eschews easy answers for a more authentic ending that promises that the work of self-improvement is ongoing and difficult." -Publisher's Weekly

"[CURE] avoids the typical game-blaming and recognizes excessive time online as the symptom, not the cause, of these kids’ problems . . . Gamer readers will flock to this novel and fall in love with its insider jokes, game-allusions, and snarky attitude. They’re also likely to identify with Jaxon’s frustrations, root for him to win, and appreciate seeing him learn a (very) little something in the end." -The Bulletin of Center of Children's Books

Description:

Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab . . .

ten minutes after he met a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him.

Jaxon's first date. Ever.

In rehab, he can't blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can't slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has just four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. And he'll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date.

If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens in treatment, confront his mother's absence, and maybe admit that it's more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection.

Prepare to be cured.

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