Under Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles #2)

by Colin Meloy (Author) Carson Ellis (Illustrator)

Under Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles #2)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

For fans of the Chronicles of Narnia comes the second book in the Wildwood Chronicles, the New York Times bestselling fantasy adventure series by Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

The three books in the Wildwood Chronicles captivate readers with the wonder and thrill of a secret world within the landscape of a modern city. The books feel at once firmly steeped in the classics of children's literature and completely fresh. Each story is told from multiple points of view, and the books feature more than eighty illustrations, including six full-color plates, making them an absolutely gorgeous object.

In Under Wildwood, Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis reveal new dimensions of the epic fantasy-adventure series begun with the critically acclaimed, bestselling Wildwood. Ever since Prue McKeel returned home from the Impassable Wilderness after rescuing her brother from the malevolent Dowager Governess, life has been pretty dull. School holds no interest for her, and her new science teacher keeps getting on her case about her dismal test scores and daydreaming in class. Her mind is constantly returning to the verdant groves and sky-tall trees of Wildwood, where her friend Curtis still remains as a bandit-in-training.

But all is not well in that world. Dark assassins with mysterious motives conspire to settle the scores of an unknown client. A titan of industry employs inmates from his orphanage to work his machine shop, all the while obsessing over the exploitation of the Impassable Wilderness. And, in what will be their greatest challenge yet, Prue and Curtis are thrown together again to save themselves and the lives of their friends, and to bring unity to a divided country. But in order to do that, they must go under Wildwood.

The bestselling trilogy from Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis consists of Wildwood, Under Wildwood, and Wildwood Imperium.

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Kirkus

Droll and ornate, elegiac and romantic—the sequel to Wildwood (2011) brings readers deeper into and under the pine-scented, magical world tantalizingly close to Portland, Ore.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8--In this sequel to Wildwood (HarperCollins, 2011), it becomes clear that Prue's and Curtis's adventures will span numerous volumes. Curtis stops his bandit training to rescue Prue from a black fox Kitsune assassin. Prue then abandons her halfhearted attempts to reassimilate into her family. Her friend, the Elder Mystic of the North Wood, believes unrest in the South Wood provisional government has placed all Wildwood in danger. She asks Prue to reestablish balance in the Forest and sends her some rather cryptic clues as to how to go about it. Prue and the unwilling Curtis end up in Wildwood's caverns where they receive help from the Mole City. Meanwhile, Curtis's sisters see glimpses of Wildwood when a cruel orphanage owner sends them into the Impassable Wilderness to try to unpeel its secrets. Meloy's declarative style combined with vivid imagery makes the descriptive passages jump out at readers. Ellis's illustrations evoke a neo-Currier and Ives style that works well with the forest setting. The numerous plot threads intimate a Dickensian approach to story management. There are almost too many things going on at once, and the book raises more questions than it answers. While not as compact as Trenton Lee Stuart's The Mysterious Benedict Society (Little, Brown, 2007), Meloy's offering is a match for its clever writing, and the numerous types of creatures in the wood will keep readers' attention as will the dramatic tension that fills every corner of this Empire Strikes Back-type sequel.--Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Under Wildwood: "Droll and ornate, elegiac and romantic—the sequel to Wildwood (2011) brings readers deeper into and under the pine-scented, magical world tantalizingly close to Portland, Ore...The incomparable Ellis more than rises to the challenge—her sly, wistful, abundant illustrations provide an emotional through line."—Kirkus Reviews
Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter of The Decemberists, and the author of several children's books, including the New York Times bestselling Wildwood series. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Shawn Harris is an artist and musician who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the illustrator of several award-winning children's books including Her Right Foot and What Can a Citizen Do?
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780062024718
Lexile Measure
800
Guided Reading Level
S
Publisher
Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Publication date
September 20, 2012
Series
Wildwood Chronicles
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Fantasy
Fantasy fiction
JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / Gener
JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Siblings
JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
Portland (Or.)
Library Media Connection

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