“THE LOST CELT is the best kind of children’s adventure story, full of taut suspense, riveting action, and, most importantly, humor and heart. Not to be missed.”
—Katherine Applegate
Author of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN
Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal
“Mikey is trying to solve the most amazing riddle of his life in this fun ride with rich, real characters and high stakes.”
—Eric Elfman
Co-author of TESLA’S ATTIC and EDISON’S ALLEY
“A. E. Conran mixes schoolyard drama, family interactions, and heroes’ tales in a sensitive book that leaves us cheering for veterans of all generations and their families.”
—Suzanne Morgan Williams
Author of BULL RIDER
“Mikey and Kyler are best friends who stay up late playing a video game that pits Celts against ancient Romans. In the real world, when they come across a strange man who yells incomprehensible words, they are certain he is a time travelling Celt. As they attempt to find the Celt again, their lives swirl into adventures that keep the pages flying by. A. E. Conran takes us to a contemporary community that is complex, beautiful, sometimes scary, often funny and full of contrasts. I fell in love with Mikey and Kyler but I can’t get Grandpa and the Celt out of my mind. I can’t wait to put this treasure into the hands of my favorite kids.”
—Elaine Petrocelli
Owner
Book Passage, Corte Madera and San Francisco
"An imaginative boy who craves adventure believes he has found an ancient warrior, lost in time. But all is not as it seems and the real world is more complicated than even his most far-fetched theories. This is an extraordinary tale, told in a fluid and believable way that gently draws the reader into the emotional intensity of the story's climax. A story for kids who love to play war games and the adults who worry about them."
—Clare Doornbos
Children’s Book Buyer
Diesel, A Bookstore, Larkspur Landing
"THE LOST CELT is a fast-paced adventure story that reads like a true classic, with gripping characters, high stakes, and real heart. This is a truly captivating can’t-put-it-down-'til-I’m-done read, especially perfect for any so-called reluctant readers.
—Keely Parrack
Teen Action coordinator
Towne Center Books, Pleasanton
"From page one, I was swept up in Mikey’s world of fantasy warfare and his obsessive pursuit of his Celtic warrior, a pursuit that never lets up. The Lost Celt has it all: gripping action, fool-hardy boys, courage, humor, friendships tested, and enormous heart."
—Marilyn Wronsky
Children's Librarian
Corte Madera Library, Marin County, CA
"As an avid reader of youth fiction for use with my clients, I found The Lost Celt compelling, interesting and ultimately a good lesson on the reality of the effect of war on adults and their families...it will be great for all adults and kids, but particularly youth and families with family members who have been to war, or to dangerous regions where violence is a real threat and possibility."
—Colleen Paul
MA, ATR, LMFT, LPCC
Fellow, Napa Infant-Parent Mental Health Post-Graduate Certificate program
Supervising Mental Health Counsellor, Health and Human Services Agency, Napa County, CA
"We had the honor of pre-reading this book before its release. Even though the book is a kids' book, we adults loved the story and also felt as if we got to know the characters. It's a great portrayal of some of the things veterans and their families go through, with adventure and humor! We highly recommend this book for children and adults."
—Maureen Borosky
Unstoppable Heroes - Wounded Veterans
“I have either met, know or been every character in THE LOST CELT. The book gives a wide-angle view of how the trauma of war/fighting lands not only on veterans themselves but on their families and communities. A. E. Conran uses a great story and imagery to put the often hidden or misunderstood effects of trauma/PTSD out for all to see.”
—Sean Silvera
United States Marine Corps Veteran
Board of Directors Member for Veterans Yoga Project
Teacher at San Quentin Prison for Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out under the direction of the Prison Yoga Project.
“Every time I thought I could put THE LOST CELT down, I would go on and read 'just a couple more pages' and then maybe a couple more…this is a universal book for boys.”
—Gregory Ross
Author, VETERANS OF WAR,VETERANS OF PEACE edited by Maxine Hong Kingston
Member of Maxine Hong Kingston’s Veteran Writers Group
“Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain injury are enormous problems, not only for our military but for our society as a whole. A. E. Conran’s description of Grandpa in Kyler’s drawing (at the end of the book) with “half his face…in the shade,” not allowing his true feeling to show, was a very deep emotion for me. Then when she described Ryan’s picture I knew, or rather felt, the emotion and danger of that lone vehicle: “A Humvee driving along a dusty road that’s scattered with trash.” The subjects of the picture are invisible, just as the invisible injuries of its occupants. After those two paragraphs I needed a brief pause.
I am sure that THE LOST CELT will be successful in healing and bringing understanding for children and adults.”
—William Blaylock
Author of INVISIBLE: PTSD’S STEALTH ATTACK ON A VIETNAM WAR VETERAN
Member of Maxine Hong Kingston’s Veteran Writers Group
"From the moment I started reading Conran’s novel, I longed to learn more about Liam, the mysterious 'Celtic warrior,' who captured the imaginations of two middle school boys. Believing Liam to be a warrior from another time, the boys search for him on the streets of their neighborhood as doggedly as they pursue the action in their video games. This novel crosses generations and explores some of the realities of modern-day warriors whose return from war often leaves them afraid, marginalized, and unable to re-enter civilian life. A compassionate tale that brings important issues to light."
—Jackie Hallerberg, daughter of a WWII POW
Member of Maxine Hong Kingston’s Veteran Writers Group
2016-01-09
Using their active fourth-grade imaginations, Mikey and his best friend, Kyler, believe that a large, tattooed white man with red hair they begin tracking is a time-traveling Celtic warrior. There's plenty to contradict this belief. The "Celt," whom Mikey first observes acting completely out of control at the local Veterans Affairs hospital emergency room, seems to have some connection to classmate Ryan, who later encounters him too and is obviously afraid of him. Clues indicate that things are far from normal in Ryan's life. There are other hints, as well, if Mikey only had a willingness to pay attention to them. He discovers that his live-in grandfather suffered from mental health problems, as some veterans do, after returning from Vietnam. But the Celt appears to believe himself to be a warrior and conveniently often screams Irish words and names legendary figures in his ranting—which Mikey recognizes after reading Rosemary Sutcliff's The Hound of Ulster. Mikey's first-person, present-tense voice and conversations with Kyler ring true enough, but the narrative seems shaped mostly to present the message about the pervasively destructive effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. A too-easy resolution and feel-good ending contradict the long-term nature of the disorder. Corny, garish cover art does little to sell the tale. Useful for bibliotherapy but neither suspenseful nor convincing enough to be fully effective as a mystery. (Fiction. 10-14)
