The Ember Stone: A Branches Book (the Last Firehawk #1): Volume 1

Description

Magic, fantasy, and adventure combine to create a grippingly fast-paced new series for young readers -- The Last Firehawk! Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!A terrible darkness is spreading across Perodia. Thorn, a powerful vulture, is using dark magic (and his dark army of spies!) to destroy the magical land. A young owl named Tag may be the only one who can save it! Tag dreams of one day becoming a brave warrior, but he is small . . . In this first book, Tag and his best friend -- a squirrel named Skyla -- meet the last firehawk. Together, the three friends learn about a magical stone. Could this stone be powerful enough to defeat Thorn? This action-packed series makes a great introduction to fantasy and quest stories for newly independent readers. Realistic black-and-white artwork appears on every page!

Jeremy Norton is a British illustrator who lives and works in Barcelona, Spain. The Last Firehawk is the first early chapter book series he has illustrated. He works digitally, and aims to convey a childlike sense of wonder through his artwork. Katrina Charman was the recipient of the SCBWI British Isles' Margaret Carey scholarship for fiction in 2013, and in 2014 she was one of the winners of the SCBWI's Undiscovered Voices competition. Katrina's first children's book, the early reader The Ninjabread Man, was published with Franklin Watts (UK) in July 2015. The Last Firehawk is her first early chapter book series. Katrina lives in South East England with her husband and three daughters.

A Publishers Weekly bestselling series!Praise for The Last Firehawk #1: The Ember Stone: "The first book in this new series brings the animal fantasy genre to early chapter book readers.... The adventure is nonstop, making this an ideal choice for reluctant readers.... Detailed black-and-white illustrations blend well with the text, and will keep kids engaged. VERDICT: A strong beginning to an adventure series for chapter book readers, especially those who are not quite ready for Erin Hunter's 'Warriors' or Kathryn Lasky's 'Guardians of Ga'Hoole.'" -- School Library Journal"A promising start to a series for fledgling fantasy readers." -- Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Branches books: "These books should be considered for larger libraries wanting to enhance their easy-reader collections." -- School Library Journal"A nice stepping stone to more advanced chapter books." -- Booklist