The Creature of the Pines

February 26, 2018
Kicking off the Unicorn Rescue Society series is a middle grade story filled with twists and turns and narrated in a fresh, fun style. Gidwitz (The Inquisitor’s Tale) introduces animal enthusiast and basically “normal kid,” Elliot Eisner, whose first day at his new school is anything but ordinary. His class takes a field trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a forested area on the coast. On the bus ride, he befriends Uchenna Devereaux, who also started school late the previous year. While in the Pine Barrens with Miss Vole (their teacher), classmates, and a visiting instructor, the secretive and strange Professor Fauna, they hear of superstitions and tales that turn out to be real after Elliot and Uchenna come across a mysterious creature. The encounter ultimately leads them to the Unicorn Rescue Society, a group of adventurers committed to protecting mythological animals from the likes of the Schmoke brothers, two dastardly businessmen. Gidwitz delivers a quick-witted fantasy focused on supposedly imaginary creatures and finding like-minded friends, told from Elliot’s fresh, young perspective. Though Elliot and Uchenna’s burgeoning friendship and cooperation are emphasized, a more subtle lesson about fallibility and recovering from mistakes demonstrates slightly more complex, and necessary, life skills. Ages 8–up. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Co.

March 15, 2018
Elliot's first day of school turns out to be more than he bargained for.Elliot Eisner--skinny and pale with curly brown hair--is a bit nervous about being the new kid. Thankfully, he hits it off with fellow new student, "punk rock"-looking Uchenna Devereaux, a black girl with twists (though they actually look like dreads in Aly's illustrations). On a first-day field trip to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, the pair investigates a noise in the trees. The cause? A Jersey Devil: a blue-furred, red-bellied and -winged mythical creature that looks like "a tiny dragon" with cloven hooves, like a deer's, on its hind feet. Unwittingly, the duo bonds with the creature by feeding it, and it later follows them back to the bus. Unsurprisingly, they lose the creature (which they alternately nickname Jersey and Bonechewer), which forces them to go to their intimidating, decidedly odd teacher, Peruvian Professor Fauna, for help in recovering it. The book closes with Professor Fauna revealing the truth--he heads a secret organization committed to protecting mythical creatures--and inviting the children to join, a neat setup for what is obviously intended to be a series. The predictable plot is geared to newly independent readers who are not yet ready for the usual heft of contemporary fantasies. A brief history lesson given by a mixed-race associate of Fauna's in which she compares herself to the American "melting pot" manages to come across as simultaneously corrective and appropriative.Fantasy training wheels for chapter-book readers. (Fantasy. 7-10)

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March 1, 2018
Grades 2-5 The Newbery Honor Book team behind The Inquisitor's Tale (2016) reunites to bring young readers the breezy Unicorn Rescue Society series. In this inaugural adventure, Elliott's new-school nerves are calmed slightly when he is befriended by Uchenna, a half Nigerian girl with a punk-rock vibe, on his first day. They stick together on a field trip to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, led by the terrifying social studies teacher Professor Fauna, and stumble upon a bizarre blue creature tangled in some ribbon. After freeing the animal (no easy feat!), it proceeds to follow them home and wreak havoc in the city. In an unlikely partnership, the new friends team up with Professor Fauna to try to catch the rogue animal. Gidwitz has written a rollicking tale with engaging characters and an irresistible premise involving a secret society dedicated to protecting mythical creatures. Aly's artwork, though unseen, will appear liberally throughout the text, further extending its appeal. Consider having Maggie Stiefvater's Pip Bartlett series on hand to tide readers over until the next installment arrives. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: There are big plans for this little book, including a national author tour and deluxe floor display.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)