The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars

Twelve-year-old Bo, who was abandoned in the forest as an infant, has always been shunned by local villagers, who believe that he’s tainted by the Shadow Creatures that roam the Dark at night. When his guardian, acerbic woodcutter Mads, is killed by an enormous magical wolf, Bo is tasked with a seemingly impossible quest: find the three keys needed to release the wish-granting Stars and return magic to the land. Accompanied by his fox, Nix; a magic-wielding girl; and a Korakhu—half woman, half bird—Bo must journey far and wide to solve the three riddles that unlock each step of the quest as ruthless foes seek to find the Stars before him. With this fanciful adventure, Plozza (Tin Heart) invokes the language of myth and fairy tales to construct a complex, heartwarming hero’s quest. Her world, as explored both through Bo’s experiences and excerpts from fictional document “The True Histories of Ulv,” possesses sufficient humor and heart to balance the darkness. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Nov.) [/em]