Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den Kicks Off a Thrilling New Middle Grade Series for Animal Lovers

Set in New York City, the novel thrusts us immediately into everyday middle school life. Simon Thorn dreads his first day of school because of the inevitable taunts he’ll receive from the class bully, Bryan Barker, who likes to make fun of Simon for his habit of talking to animals (which he can legitimately do). Of course, the ho-hum of Simon’s days shatters quickly, when he learns that he’s not the only one who can truly talk to the animal world. He soon discovers that the uncle he’s lived with all of his life, the mother he’s known mainly through postcards, and the father who died before he was born are all part of a secret Animalgram world unraveling around Central Park. When an eagle warns him of danger just before his mother is captured by an army of rats, Simon will do anything to rescue her, even if it means putting himself at the center of an intricate family feud.
Kids will love the Animalgram Academy Simon discovers beneath the Central Park Zoo, L.A.I.R. (The Leading Animalgram Institute for the Remarkable) and the family Simon meets there; both his newfound relatives and the young Animalgrams who aid him along the way. They’ll also love wondering when Simon himself will begin to shift into an animal, which animal it will be, and what that will mean about his past, as well as his future.
Carter slowly reveals clues, while entangling Simon in a large and evolving cast of characters and plots. Like Simon, readers are never quite sure whom they can trust, but they want to believe in the best of everyone who crosses the page. Whether it’s the leaders of the bird and mammal kingdoms, or the best and brightest students of L.A.I.R., all of the characters have complex but believable motivations, which creates a twisting, exciting narrative that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Perhaps the best part of the novel is what Carter sets up as you turn the final pages; the possibility for an equally exciting sequel.
Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den has something for everyone. It’s a book for readers who love fast-paced adventure, magic, and animal worlds. But there are also complicated friendships and family matters to keep kids relating to and worrying for the honorable and loveable Simon Thorn, who is about to take readers on a roller-coaster of a ride through this exciting new series.
Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den is on shelves now.