Wildwood
Author: Colin Meloy
Illustrator: Carson Ellis
Book 1 in the Wildwood Chronicles series
Pages: 540
Published: 2011
Age: 8+
When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, Prue McKeel begins an adventure that will take her and her friend Curtis way beyond her hometown and deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peace-loving mystics and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. What begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.
Wildwood is a spellbinding tale full of wonder, danger and magic. It combines the thrill of a secret world and the buzz of modern city life. Original and fresh, yet steeped in classic fantasy, this is a novel that could have only come from the imagination of Colin Meloy, celebrated for his inventive and fantastic storytelling as the lead singer and songwriter of The Decemberists. With dozens of intricate and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Carson Ellis, Wildwood is truly a new classic for the twenty-first century.
Apple's Best of the Best (2011); ABC New Voices Award (2011); School Library Journal Best Book (2011); ALA Booklist 10 Best Debut Novels (2011); E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award (2012)
About the Wildwood Chronicles Series
Books in series order
- 1.Wildwood(2011)
- 2.Under Wildwood(2012)
- 3.Wildwood Imperium(2014)
Reading age: 8+ years
This series should be read in order.
Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. At least until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in – or at least returned to tell of it.
So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval – a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater, as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.
This epic middle-grade fantasy series full of magic, wonder, and danger has been likened to an American Narnia. Boys and girls with wild imaginations will be enthralled by Colin Meloy's mystical prose and Carson Ellis' enchanting illustrations.