The Fallen Star (The Nocturnals Series #3)

by Tracey Hecht, Kate Liebman (Illustrator)

Overview

"The best stories always take place in the dark!"— R.L. Stine

Dawn, Tobin, and Bismark awaken to disaster! A meteor has landed, and blue lights glow near the crater. To make matters worse, the forest’s pomelo fruits are making animals sick. As the Nocturnal Brigade investigates, they encounter Iris, a strange aye-aye, who claims moon monsters are to blame. The Nocturnal Brigade suspects a more earthly explanation and must quickly find the answers, and the cure, before the chaos threatens to harm them all!

In The Fallen Star , the third book in the critically acclaimed middle grade series The Nocturnals, the adventures of three unlikely friends—Dawn, a serious fox; Tobin, a sweet pangolin; and Bismark, a loudmouthed sugar glider—continue with captivating plot twists and plenty of humor.

Bonus full color illustrations at the start of each chapter

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944020057
Publisher:	Fabled Films Press
Publication date:	05/02/2017
Series:	Tracey Hecht's Nocturnals Series , #3
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tracey Hecht is a writer and entrepreneur who has written, directed and produced for film. She splits her time between Oquossoc, Maine and New York City.

Kate Liebman is an artist who lives and works in New York City. She graduated from Yale University, contributes to the Brooklyn Rail, and has shown her work at multiple galleries. She grew up in Santa Monica, California.

Editorial Reviews

" The Nocturnals is an enchanting story about a group of animals who band together to protect their friends and find adventure. The characters are delightful and the nighttime landscape is captivating. It was just as I expected―because the best stories always take place in the dark!"― R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps

“Hecht serves up both a curious adventure and interesting zoological facts in this volume. Her descriptions of flora, fauna, and natural phenomena are vivid and immediate…Fresh and fun: the brigade delights as it explores another forest mystery.” (Fantasy 9-12) — Kirkus Reviews

"Our heroes hold fast to their established personas: Dawn is the wise and mysterious fox; Bismark is the vainglorious sugar glider who manages to rise to even greater levels of lovable obnoxiousness, and sweet Tobin is the plodding pangolin, whose heroics involve a skunklike spray he emits when threatened... Once again, the trio's mutual loyalty and dependence on each other's unique talents―be they what they are―save the day. This is a worthy addition to the franchise."― Booklist

"Hecht knows her audience and has written a well-paced story with short chapters that keep readers hanging on to the end... The unlikely alliance of the Brigade members, animals who come from disparate ecosystems, offers an example of unique individuals forming strong friendships."― Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT

"As with her previous two books in the series, The Mysterious Abductions and The Ominous Eye , Hecht does her best to weave science facts, literary conventions, and a rich moral foundation into The Fallen Star ." ― Centered on Books Blog

"The personalities of each animal character shine with their distinctness through actions and dialog. Marvelous creations―all of them... The story contains great messages for us humans―young and old―about respecting differences." ― Always in the Middle Blog

"The conflict was intriguing and had me worried about the fates of the forest animals. It actually felt like they were in danger, and there was a real mystery here. I would recommend this book to young readers who love animals." ― Imaginary Reads

"I find this third adventure of the Brigade to be the most hilarious, rip-roaring good read! In addition to dealing with poisonous fruit and gaseous critters, Aye-Aye Iris learns a very important lesson that even humans will benefit from." ― Bookloons

From the Publisher

2017-03-06
The Noctural Brigade returns in the third installment in the eponymous series. Pangolin Tobin, sugar glider Bismark, and red fox Dawn are enjoying a meteor shower while sitting under Bismark's pomelo tree when suddenly, a ball of blinding light drops from the sky into the forest. Shaken and bruised, the trio finds itself in an altered landscape. When the friends locate the meteor, a mysterious and strange-looking creature emerges from it. The aye-aye, whose name is Iris, warns them of invaders who come from this "star-stone." Unsettled from their run-in with Iris, the Brigade runs across a group of animals who have been poisoned after eating some fallen pomelos. With time working against them, the Nocturnal Brigade must find a cure for their sick friends and avoid the clutches of the meteor invaders. Hecht serves up both a curious adventure and interesting zoological facts in this volume. Her descriptions of flora, fauna, and natural phenomena are vivid and immediate. The multilingual and loquacious Bismark fuels a few good laughs; Tobin balances his clumsiness with limitless kindness; and brave Dawn keeps the crew focused on their mission. Likewise, the villains of the story display great depth of character. They remind readers that many times bad deeds arise from pain and mistreatment in the past. Fresh and fun: the brigade delights as it explores another forest mystery. (Fantasy. 7-12)

Kirkus Reviews