Win the first three Beastologist books! Details at the end of this post.

September 26, 1928

There were times when Nathaniel Fludd wasn’t sure he’d survive living with Aunt Phil.

“Hold on!” she called over her shoulder. “The field’s a bit bumpy.”

Today was one of those times. With his feet resting on the weasels’ crate, Nate gripped the sides of the cockpit. He had no idea if all pilots were this bad at landings or if it was just Aunt Phil.

The nose of the plane dipped down. They were coming in a little fast, it seemed to Nate. And low, he thought, as they clipped a tree, shaving a good three feet off the top. Unable to stand it, he closed his eyes.

They landed with a jolt that sent his knees clacking into his chin. As they bounced and rolled to a stop, he tasted blood from where he’d bit his tongue. Once Aunt Phil cut the engine, Nate’s pet gremlin, Greasle, popped her head out of his rucksack. “Is she done with all her hopping and bopping?”

“If you’re wondering if we’ve landed, the answer is yes,” Nate said.

Excerpt © 2010 R.L. LaFevers

About the book:

Nathaniel Fludd never dreamed that mythical beasts were real. Or that he would be the one who was supposed to take care of them…

After tangling with the deadly basilisk, Nathaniel Fludd is glad to return to England with his Aunt Phil. But someone has ransacked their home, and their best suspect is the sinister man who’s been trying to steal the Book of Beasts.

Before Nate and Aunt Phil can find the culprit, they are called to Welsh countryside. The wyverns (giant dragons) are in an uproar. Could the same man who ransacked the Fludd house be behind the rift with the wyverns? And just what does he want with The Book of Beasts? But before Nate can solve that mystery, he must calm the dragons before it’s too late. It’s just another day at work for the world’s youngest beastologist!

What people are saying:

“A solid start to a new series. . . . A quick and enticing read that will appeal to a wide variety of children.” —School Library Journal

“A fastpaced story that successfully combines fantasy and history into an entertaining, believable world.” —Booklist

“Straightforward sentences, chronological narrative, short chapters, and Murphy’s plentiful black-and-white illustrations make this appropriate for middle-grade readers looking for a series to grow with.” —Kirkus Reviews

“LaFevers gets the Nathanial Fludd, Beastologist series off to a sprightly start with this wry story. . . [a] quick-paced adventure, which should entice kids to return for Nate’s next escapade.”—Publishers Weekly

Released: October 2010 from Houghton Mifflin

About the author:

R. L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when she’s in really big trouble) grew up surrounded by shelves of old dusty books, a passel of brothers, and a wide variety of pets, including a goat, chickens, chipmunks, a baby anteater, and, for a few short weeks, two bear cubs, who were very wild and untamed. She has also spent a large portion of her life being told she was making up things that weren’t there, which only proves she was destined to write fiction. She is the author of thirteen books for young readers. In addition to the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist books, she is also author of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). She lives in Southern California and although she no longer has any exotic pets, she does have raccoons who visit her back porch, coyotes who howl at her window, and hawks that soar high overhead.

Giveaway:

Robin has been kind enough to offer the first three books in the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series (Flight of the Phoenix, The Basilisk’s Lair, and The Wyvern’s Treasure) for a giveaway!

To enter simply leave a comment on this post.

For extra entries:

-Be a follower of this site (just click “Join this site”) or a follower on Twitter [+1 entry each].

-Link to this contest on Twitter, Facebook, etc. [+1 entry per each link].

Please list your extra entries in the comments.

The contest is open in the US and Canada and ends on February 21st at midnight EST.

Good luck and happy reading!


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