Into the Shadow Mist (Legends of Lotus Island #2)

by Christina Soontornvat

Overview

From three-time Newbery honor recipient Christina Soontornvat comes a thrilling fantasy series about kids who can transform into amazing animals!

Plum and her friends are traveling to the misty Bokati Island. There they will study with the mysterious Guardian Master Em, who is the keeper of the ancient forest there. The field trip comes just in time for Plum, who still can’t figure out why she’s so different from the other Novices on Lotus Island.

At first, Plum doesn’t know what to make of this quiet and sometimes gloomy place. But it doesn't take long to discover that Bokati is brimming with an incredible array of fascinating animals and plants.

When an unseen force begins to destroy the trees, putting the entire ecosystem at risk, Plum and her classmates must spring into action. Plum is determined to help, even though she's hiding secrets about her own Guardian powers from even her closest friends.

Perfect for reluctant readers:

• Under 200 pages
• Interior illustrations
• Magic and adventure

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338759174
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/18/2023
Series:	Legends of Lotus Island , #2
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	301,711
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Christina Soontornvat is a three-time Newbery Honoree, a Sibert Honoree, and a Kirkus Prize winner. Her highly acclaimed backlist includes the middle grade books The Tryout, The Last Mapmaker, A Wish in the Dark, and All Thirteen; the picture book To Change a Planet; and the chapter book series Diary of an Ice Princess and Legends of Lotus Island. Christina lives in Austin, Texas, with her family. You can learn more about her work at soontornvat.com.

Editorial Reviews

2023-04-24
A group of young Novices at a magic school learn more about using their powers to protect the land.

Plum has passed the first test necessary to remain at the Guardian Academy and now is a true Novice, training to use her magic in service of the Santipap Islands. Like her classmates, Plum has the ability to shape-shift into a fantastic creature, the mark of a Guardian. But unlike her classmates, Plum does not seem to have a Guardian power, at least not one that makes sense. Plum worries that she may be like another one of her classmates who had to leave the academy because she used unauthorized workarounds to pass a test. And Plum’s next test is fast approaching: She and a few of her friends must journey to another island in the archipelago to use their magic in the field. Something is threatening the trees on Bokati Island, and Plum and her friends must help—but will Plum be able to use her magic and live up to being a Guardian? Touching on friendship, confidence, environmentalism, belonging, and the notion that sometimes actions aren’t black-and-white, this second installment of the Legends of Lotus Island series sheds more light on Plum’s mysterious powers but still hints at more to come. Plum and her friends live in a loose fantasy version of Thailand.

A fun, magical journey featuring a relatably conflicted protagonist. (map) (Fantasy. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Guardian Test:

A 2023 Junior Library Guild Selection

An Indie Next Pick

“With a Thailand-inspired setting, magic rooted in nature and the environment, and whimsical illustrations, this is a promising beginning to a series ready to introduce readers to both the fantasy genre and a beautiful and mysterious new world.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher