The Curse of Eelgrass Bog
$17.99 USD
hardcover
Dark secrets and unnatural magic abound when a twelve-year-old girl ventures into a bog full of monsters to break a mysterious curse.
Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).
But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.
Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late.
Mary Averling grew up across England and Canada, never far from the woods. She has degrees from the University of Victoria and Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. Since she can't stay away from libraries for very long, she is currently working toward her PhD in Ontario, where she lives surrounded by all the magical, spooky, heartfelt books she can find. The Curse of Eelgrass Bog is her middle grade debut.
★ “Whimsically creepy, The Curse of Eelgrass Bog straddles the line between slimy and sweet, concocting a fantasy world that balances snarky demons, magical bogs, concerned witches and awe-inspiring serpents.” —BookPage, starred review
“Averling’s worldbuilding is deft and beguiling, and Kess’ voice is a delight. Shining brightest is her endearing relationship with Shrunken Jim—an excellent supporting character for all that he’s brined. A deliciously offbeat magical adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A fetching, heart-stopping read with quirky characters, over-the-top depictions, a sinister setting, and the deep roots of family love.” —School Library Journal
“[An] engrossing mystery...debut author Averling laces the overall setting with beguiling magical elements that make for an inventive adventure.” —PW Reviews
“Readers will enjoy excavating layers of history in this marvelous mystery with heaps of magic and heart.” —Booklist
“The perfect combination of eccentric and eerie, this builds an immersive, thrilling setting...with a voice that is as bold as it is vulnerable, as authentic as it is sassy.” —BCCB
Please select all options.