{"product_id":"the-emerald-atlas-isbn-9780375872716","title":"The Emerald Atlas","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A strong . . . trilogy, invoking just a little \u003ci\u003eHarry Potter\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSeries of Unfortunate Events\u003c\/i\u003e along the way.\"—\u003ci\u003eRealms of Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSiblings Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eYet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eUntil now.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBefore long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world . . . a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is true—what they do can change history, and it's up to them to set things right.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A new Narnia for the tween set.\"—\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"[A] fast-paced, fully imagined fantasy.\"—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Echoes of other popular fantasy series, from \"Harry Potter\" to the \"Narnia\" books, are easily found, but debut author Stephens has created a new and appealing read . . .\"—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, Starred Review\u003c\/b\u003e\"Rich with wonder and personality, \u003ci\u003eThe Emerald Atlas\u003c\/i\u003e is a terrific read. I wholeheartedly recommend it, and look forward to more.\" -- \u003cb\u003eBrandon Mull, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of Fablehaven and Beyonders\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStarred Review, \u003cu\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/u\u003e, June 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Unfolding magic and secrets deepen the story and build excitement as it  reaches its complex and time-bending climax....Echoes of other popular  fantasy series, from “Harry Potter” to the “Narnia” books, are easily  found, but debut author Stephens has created a new and appealing read  that will leave readers looking forward to the next volumes in this  projected trilogy.\u003ci\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cb\u003e, January 18, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This fast-paced, fully imagined fantasy is by turns frightening and  funny, and the siblings are well-crafted and empathetic heroes. Highly  enjoyable, it should find many readers.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/u\u003e, April 2, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] great  story is all in the telling, and in 'The Emerald Atlas' the telling is   superb...First-time novelist John Stephens has created a vicarious  adventure for  children ages 9-15—the first in a  trilogy—filled with  unexpected twists  and marvelously distinct and vivid characters.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eBookPage\u003c\/u\u003e, April 2, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With magic, humor and unforgettable characters, John Stephens’  remarkable debut novel follows Kate, Michael and Emma as they attempt to  outwit the Countess, rescue the children and maybe even save the world  in the process. Unanswered questions and two more books to locate ensure  a sequel and more robust adventures ahead.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eRealms of Fantasy,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cb\u003e April 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eAmbitious, entertaining, magical, and whimsical\u003c\/b\u003e, this marks a strong beginning to a new trilogy, invoking just a little \u003ci\u003eHarry Potter\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSeries of Unfortunate Events\u003c\/i\u003e along the way.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e, \u003cb\u003eMarch 15, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fast-paced and engaging, with plenty of action, humor, and secrets propelling the plot. . . . Themes of family and responsibility . . . will easily resonate with young readers.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cb\u003e, March 15, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Each character has such a \u003cb\u003elikable voice\u003c\/b\u003e that the elaborate story doesn’t feel overcomplicated. . . . The only gripe readers might initially have is with its length, but by the end, they’ll immediately \u003cb\u003ewish it was longer\u003c\/b\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eLibrary Media Connection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cb\u003e, May \/ June 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A \u003cb\u003erollicking fantasy\u003c\/b\u003e filled with \u003cb\u003eshiver-inspiring evil creatures\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003equiet heroes\u003c\/b\u003e. The feisty sisters and the intellectual brother will win the hearts of readers of all ages.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eCrackingTheCover.com\u003c\/u\u003e, April 5, 2011:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"“Creativity  and wit abound in 'The Emerald Atlas.' Author John Stephens could have easily  fallen into the trap of building on someone else’s ideas. But he  doesn’t.\u003cbr\u003e Stephens  doesn’t write down to his readers. Rather he offers \u003cb\u003ea sophisticated narrative  that will appeal to children and adults alike\u003c\/b\u003e. It’s clear he had fun writing and  that 'The Emerald Atlas' was painstakingly thought  out.”\u003cp\u003eJohn Stephens is also the author of \u003cu\u003eThe Fire Chronicle\u003c\/u\u003e, the second installment in the Books of Beginning trilogy.  John received his MFA from the University of Virginia, and went on to write and produce television for ten years.  During this time, he read His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman and fell in love with fantasy for young readers.  He spent the next several years waking at 4 AM every morning to write \u003cu\u003eThe Emerald Atlas\u003c\/u\u003e before heading to work for the day.\u003cbr\u003e John lives in Los Angeles with his wife and sons and their dog, Bug. Visit BooksofBeginning.com to find out more about \u003cu\u003eThe Emerald Atlas,\u003c\/u\u003e the Books of Beginning, and John.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe hat in question was owned by Mrs. Constance Lovestock. Mrs. Lovestock was a woman of some years, even greater means, and no children. She was not a woman who did things by half measures. Take her position on swans. She thought them the most beautiful, graceful creatures in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “So graceful,” she said, “so elegant.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When one approached her large and sumptuous house on the outskirts of Baltimore, one saw shrubbery cut to look like swans. Statues of swans taking flight. Fountains where a mother swan spat water at baby swans. A birdbath in the shape of a swan where lesser birds could have the honor of bathing. And, of course, actual swans gliding across the ponds that encircled the house, and who sometimes waddling, not as gracefully as one might have hoped, past ground-floor windows.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I do nothing,” Mrs. Lovestock was proud of saying, “by half measure.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And so it was one night near the beginning of December, while sitting before the fire with her husband, Mr. Lovestock—who took a vacation by himself every summer supposedly to collect beetles, but actually to hunt swans at a private reserve in Florida, blasting them at near-point-blank range with a mad grin on his face—so it was that Mrs. Lovestock sat up on the swan-shaped couch where she had been knitting and announced, “Gerald, I am going to adopt some children.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mr. Lovestock took the pipe from his mouth and made a thoughtful sound. He had heard clearly enough what she said. Not “a child.” Rather “some children.” But long years had taught him the futility of direct confrontation with his wife. He decided it wisest to give up some ground with a combination of ignorance and ?flattery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Why, my dear, that is a fabulous idea. You’d make a wonderful mother. Yes, let’s do adopt a child.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mrs. Lovestock tutted sharply. “Don’t toy with me, Gerald. I have no intention of adopting just one child. It’d hardly be worth the effort. I think I shall begin with three.” Then she stood, indicating the discussion was over, and strode out of the room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mr. Lovestock sighed, replacing the pipe in the corner of his mouth and wondering if there was a place he could go in the summer to hunt children.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Probably not, he thought, and went back to his paper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e •?•?•\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “This is your last chance.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kate sat across the desk from Miss Crumley. They were in her office in the north tower of the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible Orphans. The building had been an armory in centuries past, and in the winter, the wind blew through the walls, rattling the windows and freezing the water in the toilets. Miss Crumley’s office was the only room that was heated. Kate hoped whatever she had to say would take a long time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I’m not joking, young lady.” Miss Crumley was a short, lumpish woman with a mound of purplish hair, and as she spoke, she unwrapped a piece of candy from a bowl on her desk. The candy was off-limits to children. On their arrival at the Home, as Miss Crumley was explaining the list of dos and don’ts (mostly don’ts), Michael had helped himself to a peppermint. He’d had to take cold showers for a week afterward. “She hadn’t said not to eat them,” he complained. “How was I supposed to know?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Miss Crumley popped the candy in her mouth. “After this, I’m done. Finished. If you and your brother and sister don’t make yourselves as agreeable as possible so that this lady adopts you, well . . .” She sucked hard on her candy, searching for a suitably terrifying threat. “. . . Well, I just won’t be responsible for what happens.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Who is she?” Kate asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Who is she?!” Miss Crumley repeated, her eyes widening in disbelief.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I mean, what’s she like?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Who is she? What’s she like?” Miss Crumley sucked ?violently, her outrage rising. “This woman—” She stopped. Kate waited. But no words came. Instead, Miss Crumley’s face turned bright red. She made a gagging sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For the briefest of seconds—well, perhaps more like three ?seconds—Kate considered watching Miss Crumley choke. Then she jumped up, ran around, and pounded her on the back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A gooey greenish lump flew out of Miss Crumley’s mouth and landed on the desk. She turned to Kate, breathing hard, her face still red. Kate knew better than to expect a thank-you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “She is”—Miss Crumley gasped—“a woman interested in adopting three children. Preferably a family. That is all you need know! Who is she! The nerve! Go find your brother and sister. Have them washed and in their best clothes. The lady will be here in an hour. And if either one of them does anything, so help me . . .” She picked up the candy and popped it back in her mouth. “. . . Well, I just won’t be responsible.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As Kate descended the narrow spiral stairs from Miss Crumley’s office, the air grew colder, and she drew her thin sweater more tightly around herself. Adults seeing Kate for the first time always took note of what a remarkably pretty girl she was, with her dark blond hair and large hazel eyes. But if they looked closer, they saw the furrow of concentration that had taken up residence on her brow, the way her fingernails were bitten to the quick, the weary tension in her limbs, and rather than saying, “Oh, what a pretty girl,” they would cluck and murmur, “The poor thing.” For to look at Kate, pretty as she was, was to see someone who lived in constant anticipation of life’s next blow.","brand":"Yearling","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301551624421,"sku":"NP9780375872716","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780375872716.jpg?v=1767739155","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-emerald-atlas-isbn-9780375872716","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}