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The Song of Orphan's Garden
Combining the gentleness of Miyazaki, the wintry wonderland of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the whimsicality of Newbery winner The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Nicole M. Hewitt's debut middle-grade novel, The Song of Orphan's Garden, is an enchanting fantasy tale with all the makings of a new classic.
In an arctic world that's getting colder every day, Lyriana's only hope of survival is to get her little brother Zave and herself to the fabled Orphan's Garden. It’s rumored to be the one place in the world not controlled by deadly Winter Spirits or ruled by the tyrant Giant king. In Orphan’s Garden, healing trees will melt away Winter’s pains, and Lyriana and Zave can live safely in the warmth of Spring. If the garden exists, they must find it. They won’t live much longer without it.
Brob, a Giant boy, also needs sanctuary. When the Giant king banishes his family to the Winter Blight, it’s a death sentence. Orphan’s Garden is his family’s only hope, and as far as Brob’s concerned, it belongs to him. After all, he was the one who accidentally used an ancient magic to grow the garden years ago. He has no intention of sharing his haven with pesky humans, who will just use up its magic and ruin it.
When it becomes clear that Orphan’s Garden is in danger of being destroyed, Lyriana and Brob are the only ones who can save it—but only if they can put the ages-old battle between Humans and Giants aside and find a way to work together.
In an arctic world that's getting colder every day, Lyriana's only hope of survival is to get her little brother Zave and herself to the fabled Orphan's Garden. It’s rumored to be the one place in the world not controlled by deadly Winter Spirits or ruled by the tyrant Giant king. In Orphan’s Garden, healing trees will melt away Winter’s pains, and Lyriana and Zave can live safely in the warmth of Spring. If the garden exists, they must find it. They won’t live much longer without it.
Brob, a Giant boy, also needs sanctuary. When the Giant king banishes his family to the Winter Blight, it’s a death sentence. Orphan’s Garden is his family’s only hope, and as far as Brob’s concerned, it belongs to him. After all, he was the one who accidentally used an ancient magic to grow the garden years ago. He has no intention of sharing his haven with pesky humans, who will just use up its magic and ruin it.
When it becomes clear that Orphan’s Garden is in danger of being destroyed, Lyriana and Brob are the only ones who can save it—but only if they can put the ages-old battle between Humans and Giants aside and find a way to work together.
- GenresMiddle Grade
352 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 21, 2025
About the author
Nicole M. Hewitt
1 book347 followersNicole M. Hewitt is a middle grade author living in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, three grown kids, and three overly-enthusiastic pups. She hates to run, but she succeeded in finishing a marathon. (It was for a good cause!) She enjoys nature but doesn’t see nearly enough of it in Illinois, so her family travels as often as possible. She also loves to sing and can often be heard spontaneously composing incredibly profound songs about the fluffiest members of her family (the dogs, in case you weren’t sure). Her debut middle grade novel in verse, THE SONG OF ORPHAN’S GARDEN, will be releasing January 21st, 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 4, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
I thought this was going to be a fairly standard, medievalish fantasy hero's journey (it even has a map at the beginning), but this was a fantasy novel IN VERSE. That's something that I don't think I have ever seen. It also involves a giant, which I've only ever seen as a main character in Borba's THE MIDNIGHT BRIGADE. I can see this being popular with fans of Anne Ursu or Alyssa Colman.
I thought this was going to be a fairly standard, medievalish fantasy hero's journey (it even has a map at the beginning), but this was a fantasy novel IN VERSE. That's something that I don't think I have ever seen. It also involves a giant, which I've only ever seen as a main character in Borba's THE MIDNIGHT BRIGADE. I can see this being popular with fans of Anne Ursu or Alyssa Colman.
September 2, 2024
Loved this book!! Perfect for kids (or adults!) just getting into verse novels. The musical fantasy world combines sweetly with the poetry, giving the whole book a song like quality. High stakes, an uplifting message, and great characters learning to trust each other and view the world from their eyes makes for a wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews