Willa of Dark Hollow - (Willa of the Wood) by Robert Beatty (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published in hardcover in 2021 by Disney/Hyperion.

Book Synopsis

This instant New York Times bestselleris perfect for any reader who loves history and mystery and cares deeply about the natural world.

*"A captivating, stirring tale of family, friendship, the environment, and our place in the world."--Kirkus (starred review)

Willa and her clan are the last of the Faeran, an ancient race of forest people who have lived in the Great Smoky Mountains for as long as the trees have grown there. But as crews of newly arrived humans start cutting down great swaths of the forest she loves, she is helpless to stop them. How can she fight the destroyers of the forest and their powerful machines?

When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures, she comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force that seems to be hunting humans. Is unleashing these dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers? Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against a consuming darkness that threatens to destroy her world.

Filled with a compelling mixture of history, mystery, and magic, Robert Beatty's books are loved by readers from 8 to 108.

Grow your middle grade fantasy collection with these best-selling fan favorites:

• Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
• Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty
• If We Were Giants by Dave Matthews and Clete Barrett Smith
• The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
• The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer

Review Quotes

Praise for Willa of the Wood

A 2018 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, July 2018
A Readerlink Buzz Pick, July 2018
Recommended by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Okra Pick for representing the "best in Southern literature"
A BN Kids's Best Book for Young Readers, July 2018
A Brightly Best Children's and YA Book of July 2018

"A moving, atmospheric journey of hope." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Beatty conjures up a resourceful, compassionate heroine. Full of atmospheric details and rickly described magic . . . this well-paced tale asks insightful questions about the relationship between nature and humans." --Publishers Weekly

"The heroine is an appealing character . . . and her anguish is clear as she wavers between
frightened self-preservation and her desire to help her friends." --School Library Journal

"Willa is a strong and likable creature of the natural world, and seamlessly represents themes of loyalty, tradition, family, and stewardship of the Earth in this engaging story." --School Library Connection

"Willa of the Wood will grip readers from its first page." --Culturess

"I have come to expect lush description, clever plotting, and memorable characters from Beatty, but I was unprepared for the flat-out gorgeousness of Willa of the Wood." --It's All About the Book

About the Author

Robert Beatty is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Serafina series, the Willa of the Wood series, and Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood, all published by Disney Hyperion. Loved by young readers and adults alike, his books are being taught in over a thousand classrooms nationwide and have been translated into over 22 languages. Robert lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three daughters. He writes full-time now, but in his past lives, Robert was one of the early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-founder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative magazine. In 2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year. When asked about the inspiration for his books, Robert said, "The Serafina and Willa books grew out of my desire to write stories about unusual and heroic young girls for my three daughters."