Caspia's summer is transformed when she discovers a bundle of letters containing ten plant-based riddles in this enchanting adventure for children ages 10 and up All right, she had to admit it: it really was an adventure to be in a new place. A different Caspia emerged here. A Brooklyn-Caspia, just like the Brooklyn-dandelion.
Twelve-year-old Caspia hates big cities, especially New York. So, she isn't thrilled by the news that her parents are taking her to Brooklyn for the whole summer.
But everything changes when Caspia discovers a bundle of letters, written by a blind girl many years ago, and hidden in an old chest of drawers. Each letter contains a 'green' riddle, with clues leading to a different plant.
Caspia sets out to solve the riddles and, as she does, she meets friends she could never have imagined and finds, to her surprise, that sometimes you can put down roots where you least expect it.
On sale: April 1, 2025
Age: 8-12 years
Grade: Grades 6-8
Page count: 224 Pages
ISBN: 9780593959305
Author of the New York Times bestselling Inkheart series,
Cornelia Funke has been published in 53 languages and her books have sold over 22 million copies worldwide. Cornelia lives in Tuscany, Italy, where she regularly hosts artists from around the world. Her old olive farm provides a retreat for creatives to collaborate in surprising and amazing ways.
Tammi Hartung is an ethnobotanist and co-authored alongside Cornelia, providing integral details and knowledge about the leafy citizens of
The Green Kingdom. Tammi has more than 40 years experience working with plants, and has published four other books using her botanical expertise.
Melissa Castrillon is an English and Colombian illustrator based in the United Kingdom. In 2019 she was awarded the Gold medal by the Society of illustrators in New York.
"Old riddles provide a modern girl with a summer adventure....The broad range of featured plants includes many that are likely to be familiar to readers. Co-authors Hartung, who has botanical expertise, and Funke, whose original German text was translated by Anna Schmitt Funke, add magic to the mundane, collaborating to create a realistic story that nevertheless feels wonderfully fantastical. Castrillón’s delicate illustrations have an old-fashioned feel and provide marvelous atmosphere as well as effectively highlighting the various plant species."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Hartung’s botanical expertise matches Funke’s narrative prowess, resulting in epistolary language that is natural and playful, as are the lush illustrations invitingly placed throughout...A solid purchase and easy recommendation for those who enjoy place-based mysteries with a twist." -
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