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1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Kaile lives in Zombay, an astonishing city where goblins walk the streets and witches work their charms and curses. Kaile wants to be a musician and is delighted when a goblin gives her a flute carved out of bone. But the flute' s single, mournful song has a dangerous consequence: It separates Kaile and her shadow. Anyone without a shadow is considered dead, and despite Kaile' s protests that she' s alive and breathing, her family forces her to leave so she can' t haunt their home. Kaile and her shadow soon learn that the troublesome flute is tied to a terrifying ghoul made from the bones of those who drowned in the Zombay River. With the ghoul chasing her and the river threatening to flood, Kaile has an important role to play in keeping Zombay safe. Will Kaile and her shadow be able to learn the right tune in time? Set in the delightful and dangerous world of Goblin Secrets, Ghoulish Song is a gripping adventure laced with humor and mystery from National Book Award- winning author William Alexander.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 4, 2013
      In this more focused companion to Alexander’s National Book Award–winning debut, Goblin Secrets, the author revisits the macabre city of Zombay to tell another tale of art as the fundamental underpinning of important magic. Kaile is a baker’s daughter who loves music. She crosses paths with a goblin who gives her a bone flute, but when Kaile plays the flute, her shadow separates from her body. Her family believes she has died (“Only the dead don’t have shadows,” her younger brother says), and Kaile is forced to leave home. While seeking the origins of the flute, so she can reunite with her frightened shadow and return to her family, Kaile instead finds her music is the key to saving the city. There is magic in almost every aspect of Alexander’s world, including the sinister sentience of the river and the bones of the drowned, and his graceful prose weaves an engaging fantasy that embraces the power of music. While this story shares its setting and basic plot with the previous book, many questions about Zombay are yet to be answered. Ages 8–12. Agent: Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In this companion book to GOBLIN SECRETS, author William Alexander narrates his heroine Kaile's venture away from the steampunk city of Zombay. When she plays a bone flute given to her by a goblin, a dizzying series of events is set in motion--separation from her own shadow, expulsion from her home, and a quest to find the original owner of the flute. Can Kalie save herself, her shadow, and the bridge that holds Zombay together and become a musician? Once again, Alexander's narration is full of varied speeds, drawn-out hesitancies, emphatic pronouncements, and light, breezy cadences--all underscoring Kaile's spunk, desires, and drive. Alexander sets a fast clip and creates distinctive supporting characters, especially Shade, Kaile's shadow. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 29, 2013
      In the town of Zombay, where goblins, witches, and ghouls are prevalent, young Kaile is given a flute by a goblin. When she plays it, a magical song severs her from her shadow. Unfortunately, in her land, a person without a shadow is presumed to be dead, and Kaile is first mourned as deceased and then chased away under the assumption that she is an undead ghoul. She and her detached shadow set off on an adventure to learn the secret of the flute, and, in so doing, discover that music can save the town. Author William Alexander reads in a friendly, engaging voice, ably conveying all the humor, drama, and of his book. He skillfully evokes the very likable, spunky, resourceful, and sometimes impulsive character of Kaile. And although he does not create true character voices per se, he does a good job in differentiating the characters. This entertaining companion to Alexander’s Goblin Secrets will delight young listeners who enjoy lighthearted fantasy. Ages 8–12. A Margaret K. McElderry hardcover.

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