Kathryn Lasky's Blog, page 2

I’ve written a new article

What happens when a well-known children’s book author switches genres?

After decades of writing fantasy and historical fiction for middle grade and young adult readers, Kathryn Lasky the award-winning children’s book author is doing just that.

LIGHT ON BONE is a finalist

MAINE LITERARY AWARDS2023 AWARD FOR CRIME FICTION

On May 18 we will find out if it  is the winning entry.

BOOK BIRTHDAY TODAY

The second book in my Secret of Glendunney series is published today

Return to the brilliant, adventure-filled world of Glendunny. Dunwattle, Locksley and Yrynn are going on their greatest journey yet in their search for their beloved mother figure, Elsinore the swan, who has been kidnapped by dark forces. Little do they know, they have a much larger expedition in store when they discover other persecuted animals and baby otters being held against their will for nefarious purposes.

Will they be able to save Elsinore, the innocent animals, and themselves? Join Dunwattle and Locksley as they embark on this winding adventure, explore unknown lands beyond their pond, and endeavor to save their world and all the creatures in it.

A wonderful STARRED review from Kirkus

.Lasky’s perfectly constructed fantasy is told in beautifully descriptive, soaring language, with invented words and names feeling just right and an abundance of detailed information about each animal’s habitat, attributes, and physiology.Magical, exciting, and deeply moving.

The beaver kits of Glendunny Pond are charged with a dangerous mission.

To avoid extinction, beavers have maintained a secret existence at Glendunny since the reign of Henry VIII and must never be seen by humans, or two-legs. A human sighting of the kit Dunwattle was the impetus for the harrowing life-changing adventures described in the first series entry. Now, even more sinister, terrifying events threaten Glendunny and beyond. Eagles have reported animals captured by two-legs and taken to New Eden, the Dark Place, for evil purposes. The swan Elsinore, who is essential to the community’s well-being, may be one of the captives. Beaver kits Dunwattle, Locksley, and Yrynn must search for and, if need be, rescue her. The intricate plot twists and turns and weaves, with the tale told from multiple viewpoints showing the experiences of those imprisoned and those searching as they hatch a daring escape. These varied creatures—beavers, otters, eagles, owls, whales, and more—gain insights, empathy, self-knowledge, and trust as their plan takes shape. There is great kindness, bravery, and compassion as well as unimaginable cruelty, loss, and evil, mostly perpetrated by the two-legs. The heroes are many, but Blekka the octopus is perhaps the most surprising and heartbreaking. Lasky’s perfectly constructed fantasy is told in beautifully descriptive, soaring language, with invented words and names feeling just right and an abundance of detailed information about each animal’s habitat, attributes, and physiology.

Magical, exciting, and deeply moving. (map) (Animal fantasy. 9-13)

Another starred review for The Secret of Glendunny

It won a rave from ALA Booklist

"After being relentlessly hunted, beavers haven’t been spotted in Scotland for 500 years. But the beavers aren’t gone; they’ve simply gone into hiding, forming a secret enclave and an advanced society. There is only one rule that all beavers must follow: never be seen by a human. All progresses as it should until young Dunwattle, terrified by a ghostly apparition in his lodge, flees in panic and pops up in front of a bewildered professor. Dunwattle reveals the transgression to his best beaver friend and a wise swan, but another beaver outcast, Yrynn, having also seen the apparition, insists that the ghostly human girl needs their help, and they all must work together to untangle the mystery and protect their secret world. It’s a marvelous adventure, and Lasky’s gorgeous text has a proper, old-fashioned tone that lends gravity to the fantastical plot. There is an astonishingly detailed mythology, language, and history to the beaver world, and larger, relevant themes of immigration and racism are organically worked in. The tale doesn’t shy away from occasional death and gore, but there are plenty of delightful details to keep it from getting too heavy. An abrupt ending may bewilder young readers, but the series promises to carry on in future installments. An enchanting introduction to a wonderful, new natural world."

— Emily Graham

The second book in my Secret of Glendunny series is coming March 14

Brave beaver kits Dunwattle, Locksley, and Yrynn are going on their greatest journey yet in search of their beloved friend and guardian, Elsinore.

Their expedition gets even bigger when they discover other persecuted animals being held against their will. Will they be able to save Elsinore, the innocent animals, and themselves? Join the three kits as they embark on this thrilling adventure, exploring unknown lands beyond their pond, and endeavor to save their world and all the creatures in it from a place that is dedicated to turning innocent creatures into deadly weapons. 

Scottsdale Arizona Event can be viewed online

Poisoned Pen Bookstore is one of the best mystery bookstores in the country

7:00 presentation by Kathryn at Poison Pen 4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Scottsdale Arizona Event

Poisoned Pen Bookstore is one of the best mystery bookstores in the country

7:00 presentation by Kathryn at Poison Pen 4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Dec 21 is the longest night of the year

The owls of Ga"Hoole celebrate it

Kathryn will be online at Book Passage January 22

It is San Francisco's best bookstore. The weather is so bad the event is now virtual