Emily Lloyd-Jones talks about her two recent releases Unspoken Magic for middle-grade readers and The Wild Huntress for young-adult readers. Ginny Rorby discusses her recent novel Girl Under Glass for young-adult readers.
Unspoken Magic is the second title in a delightful middle-grade series set in the magical town of Aldermere. We first met our main characters, Fin, Eddie, and Cedar in Unseen Magic. The town of Aldermere, nestled in the redwood forest, relies on tourists to keep its economy going, but it also has a secret. And that secret is in danger of discovery from some zealous podcasters. The three kids led by Fin, happen across a lost “baby” magical creature the day after the podcasters come to town. They try to both hide the magic and to find the baby’s family so it can go home. The podcasters have other plans.
The Wild Huntress is the third book set in the Welsh mythological universe. We revisit the character Blodeuyn who played a bit part in book two. Here her backstory comes alive and pushes her to find a cure for her mother’s memory sickness. In The Wild Huntress she calls herself Branwen, because if the monsters know her real name it gives them power. We also meet two princes from rival nations. The three of them join together to attempt the impossible without understanding the cost of the prize they seek.
Ginny Rorby's Girl Under Glass is the culmination of fifty years of rumination and is written for young adult and adult readers. It chronicles the life of a teenage girl living with her alcoholic mother in Fort Bragg, California. Kelsey gets herself into trouble on more than one occasion. Through a court-ordered work program, she meets Hobby a retired botanist who is trying to recreate Cleve Baxter’s experiments on plant communication. Hobby and Kelsey’s relationship starts out rocky. Over time Kelsey’s hard outer shell shows some cracks as the two bond and she finds her worth. Like all of Ginny’s books, the story has twists and turns, mysteries, adventures, lies, and tragedies that tug at the heartstrings.
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