The Lost Rainforest #1

October 15, 2017
When the magical rainforest of Caldera is threatened by a terrible evil, four young animal friends must overcome their differences to save the rainforest from destruction. Mez, a young, orphaned panther is called to leave her home and join other animals born during the solar eclipse to fight the rising Ant Queen. But even if what the mysterious boa constrictor says is true--that she is one of the shadowwalkers, those born with magical ability--what difference can one young panther with a mottled coat make? During her journey to the Ziggurat of the Sun and the Moon, she is joined by Lima, a bat with healing powers; Rumi, a tree frog who can control the wind; and Gogi, a capuchin monkey with the power of fire. Even though she fears she is ungifted, Mez chooses to fight anyway. But the Ant Queen is not the only foe they must face. The rainforest is full of danger, betrayal, and long-held grudges. While the story is pure fast-paced fantasy, the underlying issues are real. Ignorance among the species, racism, and intolerance of differences are rampant. An author's note highlights the beauty and importance of the rainforest. Magic with depth in this new series stunner. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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November 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-Deep in the rainforest, there are animals who are daywalkers and those who are nightwalkers, and it is unnatural for the groups to ever meet. Mez, a young panther who lives with her aunt, sister, and cousins, is not content with walking only at night. While her family sleeps, she explores beyond their cave, making her a shadowwalker. When a constrictor named Auriel comes calling for Mez, she succumbs to his plea to join other shadowwalkers in defeating the ant queen who is imprisoned in the ziggurat. The animals are all heavily anthropomorphized, each with their own distinct personality. As with most adventure stories, the protagonists must contend with obstacles and villains to reach their ultimate goal. It is the camaraderie of the group, and their ability to work together, that makes this tale so charming. Readers will be cheering when Mez and the gang figure out the riddle of the ziggurat. VERDICT Just right for middle grade readers who want an engrossing fantasy adventure.-Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 6, 2017
In a captivating fantasy set in the mythical rainforest of Caldera, magic-imbued creatures come together to save their home. Advised by a knowledgeable boa constrictor, a calico panther named Mez joins other “eclipse-born” creatures, which include a tree frog, bat, kinkajou, and capuchin monkey. Unlike more typical members of their kind, they are able to “cross the Veil” and remain active at both day and night; together, they seek to prevent the dreaded Ant Queen from escaping her prison and once again conquering the land. This unusual alliance of “shadowwalkers” hopes to achieve their goal by traveling to an ancient ziggurat, discovering their individual magical powers, and learning how to imprison the Ant Queen. With a memorable, quick-bantering cast, this kickoff to the Lost Rainforest series, a playful departure from Schrefer’s ape novels, brings fresh perspective to the magical animal subgenre. And, despite the fantasy setup, readers will come away learning quite a bit about this ecosystem and its inhabitants. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Richard Pine, Inkwell Management.

Lunafloof - My book review is about the book The Lost Rainforest: Mez’s Magic by Eliot Schrefer. The book is about Mez, a panther born during the eclipse and found friends who were also born during the eclipse to defeat the ant queen. I liked the book because I love panthers and adventure books. I liked that the book made you happy when SPOILER ALERT characters find each other again and sad when SPOILER ALERT characters that you relate to die This book helped me learn about perseverance and pushing forward. Like when SPOILER ALERT they are in the owl fight on the river and they get flipped under the water. In that situation the main character, Mez just keeps pushing through and eventually emerges from the water. Unlike Mez, a character who doesn’t persevere is Sorrella the monkey. In the beginning of the book the side character Sorrella the monkey had no respect for anyone but herself. Sorrella thought she was very sophisticated and we can tell because in one part, Auriel the cobra was talking and Sorrella wasn’t paying attention, she was grooming herself. Gogi the monkey wanted her respect but Sorrella hated Gogi because he was only a seventeen on the rankings. After Gogi SPOILER ALERT saved the animals from the ant queen for the first time, Sorrella actually gave him some respect by giving him praise for what he did. Like when Gogi is giving a speech about how they will defeat the ant queen once and for all, Sorrella is listening and joins into the speech to help prove Gogi’s point. They were all so positive that they would win, and they were even more moved to win because SPOILER ALERT they had a dead member to fight for. I think that the chapter when SPOILER ALERT Nico the fish dies means sometimes good people have bad things happen to them. Nico was a good fish and he didn’t deserve to be SPOILER ALERT eaten by Auriel. This chapter helps show that SPOILER ALERT Auriel works for the ant queen and can hollow out animals bodies. There was no crack in the temple so the ant queen couldn’t have come out of the temple to eat it herself. I hope that if you read the book, you enjoyed it and if you haven’t, you will and you will enjoy it.