For fans of Frozen, The City of Ember, and The School of Good and Evil, the New York Times bestseller The Mark of the Dragonfly is a fast-paced adventure story about a mysterious girl and a fearless boy, set in a magical world that is both exciting and dangerous.
Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields.
The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home.
The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.
Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.
Praise for The Mark of the Dragonfly:
★ “This magnetic middle-grade debut…[is] a page-turner that defies easy categorization and ought to have broad appeal.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred
★ “Heart, brains, and courage find a home in a steampunk fantasy worthy of a nod from Baum.”-- Kirkus Reviews, Starred
★ “A fantastic and original tale of adventure and magic...Piper is a heroine to fall in love with: smart, brave, kind, and mechanically inclined to boot.”—School Library Journal, Starred
“A complex and impeccably developed plot—there is plenty to recommend in this novel.”—The Bulletin
“Appealing characters and lots of action make it a good choice for young adventure readers.”—Booklist
Download and start listening now!
“Thirteen-year-old Piper is an
orphan who struggles to survive by scavenging, repairing, and reselling
artifacts from other worlds. Narrator Kim Mai Guest does an excellent job
evoking Piper’s tenacity—not only to survive but also to one day get herself
out of the lowly scrap town where she lives and make something of her life.
Opportunity comes when Piper rescues a mysterious girl, Anna, and sets out to
return her to the capital of the neighboring Dragonfly Territories. The
breathy, somewhat ethereal tone Guest uses to portray Anna perfectly matches
the scatterbrained, timid girl. Guest pulls listeners into the treacherous
adventure as the girls are pursued by a dangerous man bent on seizing them. A
suspenseful narration and a vaguely steampunk-inspired world make this a fun
listen.”
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AudioFile