BRBC week 10: Sounds in the forest

Welcome to the first week of North! Or Be Eaten! I picked the following excerpt for the delicious onomatopoeic leaf sounds. Every time I read it, I can hear them.

His thoughts were interrupted by a strange sound in the forest.Janner peered into the trees, wondering if it was his imagination. After weeks in Glipwood Forest, he had come to recognize the shriek of the cave blat, the gribbit of the bumpy digtoad, the horrible moo of the toothy cow, and the wail of the horned hound. Peet had even taught Janner and his siblings about the various birds that sang in the boughs and how to tell which ones were hostile, which were mischievous, and which were singing dirges for fellow birds that had been gobbled by a gulpswallow.But this sound was different. It was almost human. Janner took quick stock of his family to be sure everyone was present, and to his increasing alarm, all were.“Shh!” Janner clamped a hand over Tink’s mouth. “Hear that?”“Mmmf,” Tink replied.The sound got louder, now accompanied by the faint kshhh-kshhh of snapping twigs and brush trampled underfoot. Podo and Nia heard it too. They all stood, heads turned, listening. Nugget whined and paced back and forth until Leeli hushed him.Finally, the voice echoing through the timbers grew near enough that the words became clear.“IN THE WORDS OF UBINIOUS THE WHOONED, ‘RUN, IGIBYS! IF YOU’RE OUT THERE, RUN! THEY’RE COMING!’”
Discussion: What was your favorite excerpt from this week's reading? Post it below!Have you noticed adults treating you differently as you grow up?What book would you want your body found with? Discuss with us in the forum.Activity: Invent a critternose casserole recipe. :-)Andrew news! Andrew's newest album, Resurrection Letters, volume 1, released today! Check it out at the Rabbit Room or anywhere you buy or download music.

Darkness over Aerwiar

The Wingfeather Saga is being translated into Swedish, and Andrew just got his gorgeous and shiny new hardback via airmail last week. Look at this cover! Click through the Instagram post below to see the first page and a map. :-)The title, you may notice, doesn't quite look like it says On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. That's because the longer title didn't translate well, so in Swedish the book is called Mörkret över Aerwiar, which means The Darkness over Aerwiar. The brilliant and conscientious translator is now working on book two.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgme6LrBJ0J/

This week, Madame Sidler is starting book two of the Wingfeather Saga! Join in by reading chapters 1-7 of North! Or Be Eaten. See you on Friday for an excerpt—and all week long in the forum!Nicholas Kole interview: We're still collecting questions for Nicholas! Drop your suggestions in the comments here.

BRBC week 9: Stubborn old fool

We've finished the first book! Next week we get to start North! Or Be Eaten together. :-)There were two passages that stood out to me while reading this week, so as an end-of-book bonus (and as a clever bit of cheatery), I'm going to post one excerpt here and another in the forum. ;-) This one I love because of the breathlessness and silence and light.

Janner woke with a start and leapt to his feet. The chamber was completely dark. He thought for a moment that he was in the Black Carriage, that he could still hear the cawing of crows, the remnants of a dark dream clinging to him like cobwebs. Tink’s familiar snore brought him back to the underground chamber. The torch must be spent, he thought—but the Fangs! The hounds! Janner put his ear up to the cold iron door and listened.Silence.No horned hounds howled. No Fang snarled or hissed. All was still.Janner nudged Tink with no success. He groped in the dark and could feel Tink’s figure, curled up and sleeping a few feet from the door.He thought about opening the door without waking the others. He could do it quietly, just to see if the sun had yet risen and whether by some miracle of the Maker the Fangs were gone or at least distracted. He put a sweaty hand on the door handle, hesitated for a moment, and turned it. The click echoed in the room and Janner flinched, afraid he would alert the monsters outside and above.With a deep breath, he pulled on the great door and it creaked open. His eyes had so adjusted to the darkness that the faint light trickling down the tunnel stung. As Janner shielded his eyes, his mouth dropped open at what lay before him.
Discussion: What was the funniest part of the book? What was the saddest? What was the most scary? What was the most wonderful?Was there a part of this book you couldn't stop thinking about? What was it? What does it make you think?
Was there something that happened in the book that you expected, or wished, had happened differently? What do you think would have happened if things had turned out the way you expected?What do you think will happen next?I would LOVE to hear your favorite excerpt from this week's reading—or, this being the last week, from anywhere in On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Post it below!Activity: Design your own treehouse! What will you include?Bonus conversation: Head over to the forum to talk about the other excerpt Madame Sidler appreciated this week. There have been some other really good conversations in the forum this week, too. You're more than welcome to come poke around.If you'll be joining us for the next book, North! Or Be Eaten, pick up your copy at the Rabbit Room or Amazon!

Questions, please! Interview with Nicholas Kole

Featherheads, we are going to interview Nicholas Kole! We means me and you—when he and I talk I'll be taking your questions with me. :-)Nicholas is the production designer for the Wingfeather Saga Animated Series. He's also done work with Disney and Nintendo, and has his own super cool story-world he calls Jellybots. You can check out his full portfolio here. You can also find him on Instagram, where he posts lots of Wingfeather process videos and other behind-the-scenes stuff!Here are some of my favorites. I love his use of color![gallery ids="24064,24054,24062,24055,24057,24059"]And of course:So what questions do you have for Nicholas? Post them below! I will take five questions along with me when he and I chat, and in a couple weeks (depending on scheduling) we'll post the interview here at the site. :-)

This week, Madame Sidler will be finishing On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness! If you're reading along, that means chapters 45-51 (there are some fun things in the appendices, too). See you on Friday for an excerpt, and all week in the forum!

BRBC week 8: A protector

We're used to Peet being jittery, jumpy, jumbled in thought and in speech. Look at him now.

Anklejelly Manor had been frightening enough during the day. Now it was deep night, with a horde of Fangs fast approaching. The forest wall loomed an arrowshot away, teeming with unseen creatures that would put fear even into a Fang.It seemed to Janner that there was nowhere left to run— none of the options seemed safe, not running into the forest, into the Fangs, or into Anklejelly Manor. ...Suddenly Peet materialized out of the darkness. His breathing was ragged and he staggered wearily.“I wanted to say good-bye, young Iggyfings. I’ll fight for you as long as I can.” Peet looked at Podo with a new boldness. “I’ll fight for them.”But without a word of thanks or even a glance, Podo stepped up the stone stairs and into the black mouth of the manor.“I won’t follow,” Peet called after the old man. “I’ll stay away from you all, like you said. But I will fight for them.” Peet turned to the children and bowed low. “Good-bye, Iggyfings,” he said, then he turned and strode through the gate and toward the ocean of Fangs, his arms spread wide and his talons bared.
Discussion: Why do you think Peet is braver now, with an entire Fang horde coming for them, than he is at other points in the story—when Podo challenges him or when, in the forest, Leeli moves too quickly or reaches toward him or pulls away?
“Maybe Podo didn’t have a plan, but knowing that his grandfather was with him, even in the face of the Fangs of Dang, made Janner feel like he could be more than he was.” Is there anyone who gives you strength when you’re afraid? Who makes you feel like you can be more than you are? Tink was a good model to Janner in this scene, too. Do you think you have ever been an example like this? What does bravery look like in your regular life, without swords and Fangs?What was your favorite part of this week's reading? Post it below. :-)See you in the forum!

Carson's minifigs

Those of you who've finished the Wingfeather books know that at at the end of the series there was a little cleaning up to do in the library. Well, we're still finding things we had thought were lost, and today's post includes one of them. Meet Carson, who back in 2013 was twelve years old and loved Legos, reading, and Wingfeather. He put together a lineup of Lego minifigures and shared them with us, but then as you know we lost several things.Left to right: Nugget, Leeli, Tink, Janner, Nia, and Podo. When we found his message this week one edge had been burned away, so I'm not certain, but am guessing the last one is a Fang.Thanks, Carson! Sorry we lost your letter!

This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 39-44 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Come back on Friday for an excerpt! Meanwhile, we've got several great conversations happening around the forum. Click here to listen to a song one of our readers posted, here to discuss movie-casting the series, here if you're looking for a real live whistleharp (or know where we can get one), here if you've read the third book and want to discuss it, here to talk movies, and here if you'd like to connect with other young writers. See you Friday!

BRBC week 7: Heavy with dread

We're getting toward the end of the first book. In earlier parts of the story it's easy to imagine that things will work themselves out. But as the story winds down, the Igibys' fears—of the Black Carriage, of Gnag the Nameless, of whatever secret the Jewels carry—are beginning to be real. This excerpt is a bad moment. How can Nia be so graceful in the midst of darkness?

Gnorm met Nia’s gaze. “Bring them.”The Fangs forced the Igibys to their feet, all but Leeli, who was thrown over one Fang’s shoulder, just as Slarb had done.Janner suddenly felt as tired as he’d ever been. His feet dragged as he walked behind his grandfather, who only a few days earlier had looked like a warrior on the back of Danny the carthorse. Now Podo was hobbling along, bent like the old man that he was. Tink said nothing, but scowled with hatred. Janner’s heart felt heavy with dread. Just days ago, when he and his brother and sister were in the jail, their only salvation had been Nugget, Nia, and Podo, and the gold that Nia had hidden away. Now the gold was gone, Nugget was gone, and Podo and Nia were to be locked away with them. This time there would be no stopping the Black Carriage. It would creep into town on its dark errand, and they would be fed into its maw, taken away to meet whatever grisly fate Gnag the Nameless devised for them.Yet Nia’s strength still emanated from her like a candle in a dark room. Janner noticed that she was steady and graceful, and even with blood dried at the corner of her mouth and hair askew, she was beautiful.
Discussion: Where do you think Nia's strength comes from?Janner thinks that "Igiby luck" has brought the Fangs down on them. Do you ever feel unlucky? What else might be going on?Why do you think Podo is so angry with Peet?This week's reading was full of Oskar's quotes. Think back over all the books he's quoted. Have any stood out to you as something you wish you could read? What made you want to read it/them?Activity: Download the Dark Sea book club kit and make your own sock hands!Forum fun: If you've got thoughts about the Monster in the Hollows (spoilers here!) or know where to get a real whistleharp, visit our forum! We've got conversations happening on all kinds of topics. :-)I would love to read your favorite excerpt from this week's reading. Share it in the comments. :-)

Andrew at Reshelving Alexandria

Thursday, March 1, was a crazy awesome day. Not only did Hutchmoot tickets open only to sell out in nine minutes (!), but it was also launch day for a brand-new website devoted to helping families build legacy libraries. The site is called Reshelving Alexandria, and along with extensive book and author lists and the promise of some great member-only features, they are highlighting a different author every month. Their very first featured author was none other than our own dear Andrew! Click below to check out his bio and see what else they're up to.Thank you, Alexandrians! What an honor.

This week, Madame Sidler is reading chapters 35-38 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Check back on Friday for an excerpt and discussion! Meanwhile, we'll see you in the forum. :-)

The stories are true.