Another starred review for The Secret of Glendunny

• Reviews & Press

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