Impossible Creatures

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LANDMARK NEW FANTASY SERIES THAT CONTINUES WITH THE POISONED KING

"A glorious fantasy adventure . . . Brimming with intelligence, inventiveness and generosity of heart."--The Wall Street Journal (One of the Best Children's Books of the Year)

Two kids race to save the world's last magical place in this instant classic from "a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination." (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass)

*This spectacular book features foil and embossing on the jacket, full-color designed endpapers, red stained edges, and a red case cover with gold stamping.*

The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever.

It's the day he learned about the Archipelago--a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years, until now. And it's the day he met Mal--a girl on the run, in desperate need of his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

Katherine Rundell's story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND SHELF AWARENESS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Author: Katherine Rundell
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: 09/10/2024
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.60h x 6.10w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9780593809860

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.1
Point Value: 11
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 551155 / Impossible Creatures


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/03/2024
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2024
School Library Journal 08/01/2024 pg. 92
Booklist 08/01/2024 pg. 69
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2024 pg. 86
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2024
Shelf Awareness 12/12/2024
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2024 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
KATHERINE RUNDELL is the author of Rooftoppers (an ALA-ALSC Notable Book, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize), Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms (a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner), The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer (winner of the Costa Children's Book Award), and The Good Thieves. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of St. Catherine's College, Oxford. Her books for adults include Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne (winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize) and Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise.

ASHLEY MACKENZIE is a Canadian artist and illustrator with a special affinity for dragons, dryads, and all magical creatures.