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Forest of Wonders (Wing & Claw Vol. 1) | October 14, 2015

by Linda Sue Park (HarperCollins, March 2016)

Raffa Santana comes from a family of apothecaries. At only eleven years old, he’s already a gifted apothecary himself, and he’s hungry to try out his own combinations—if only his overbearing father would quit watching Raffa’s every move. When Raffa attempts to heal an injured bat using a rare vine from the mysterious Forest of Wonders, the bat is cured . . . and it also starts talking. Raffa’s experiments with the powerful vine set off a chain of events that lead him (and Echo, the bat) to Gilden, the capital city, where he faces tough questions about whom he can trust and how his own apothecarial inventions are affecting the forest creatures he cares about. The first installment of the Wing & Claw trilogy offers strong world-building, touches of magic, and plenty of action, all through the lens of a gentle but brave young boy protagonist who is impossible to dislike. Best of all is the camaraderie between Raffa and Echo, who speaks in adorable two-word phrases and swoops in to thwart Raffa’s adversaries at just the right moment. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park’s first fantasy is a fun and fast-paced adventure not to be missed.

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