May 2022 - Page 2 of 14 - Anastasia Suen

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
by A.F. Steadman (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound

Booktalk: Skandar Smith has always yearned to leave the Mainland and escape to the secretive Island, where wild unicorns roam free. He’s spent years studying for his Hatchery exam, the annual test that selects a handful of Mainlander thirteen-year-olds to train to become unicorn riders. But on the day of Skandar’s exam, things go horribly wrong, and his hopes are shattered–until a mysterious figure knocks on his door at midnight, bearing a message: the Island is in peril and Skandar must answer its call.

Skandar is thrust into a world of epic sky battles, dangerous clashes with wild unicorns, and rumors of a shadowy villain amassing a unicorn army. And the closer Skandar grows to his newfound friends and community of riders, the harder it becomes to keep his secrets–especially when he discovers their lives may all be in graver danger than he ever imagined.

Snippet:

“Are you ever going to stop staring at that stupid poster?” Kenna groaned.

“Dad’s making breakfast,” Skandar said, hoping this would cheer his sister up.

“I’m not hungry.” She turned and faced the wall, her brown hair poking out from underneath the duvet. “There’s no way Aspen and New-Age Frost will win today, by the way.”

“I thought you weren’t interested.”

“I’m not, but…” Kenna rolled back again, squinting at Skandar through the morning light. “You’ve got to look at the stats, Skar. Frost’s wingbeats per minute are only about average for the twenty-five competing. Then there’s the problem of their allied element being water.”

“What problem?” Skandar’s heart was singing, even though Kenna was insisting Aspen and Frost wouldn’t win. She hadn’t talked about unicorns for so long he’d almost forgotten what it was like. When they were younger, they’d argued constantly about what their elements would be if they became unicorn riders. Kenna always said she’d be a fire wielder, but Skandar could never decide.

“Have you forgotten your Hatchery classes? Aspen and New-Age Frost are water-allied, right? And there are two air wielders among the favorites: Ema Templeton and Tom Nazari. We both know air has advantages over water!”

You are invited to join the June 1-August 31, 2022 #kidlit Comps Summer Reading Club and read all summer long. The goal is to build a list of comps (published children’s books like yours) to use in your query when you send out your #kidlit manuscript.

Q. What is the #kidlit Comps Summer Reading Club?
A. A digital reading log in a private Facebook Group.

#kidlit Comps Summer Reading Club Rules:
1. Read one *possible* comp a week (a children’s book like yours)
2. in June, July, and August.
3. Post a book emoji 📚 with a # to record it: 📚1, 📚2, etc.
4. Build a list of comps for your query
5. by selecting the best *possible* comps🥇 at the end of each month.

Q. Do you post the book title, too?
A. No. Only post a book emoji: 📚. Book comps are a sales tool. Save this important sales information for your query letter.

Why read comps?

Book comps can help you:

Write your book
Revise your book
Sell your book

Are you ready to ready to read and write this summer? Join us!

Download the #kidlit Comps Summer Reading Club FAQ e-book on the Summer Reading page.
Click the yellow “Join group” button in the e-book.
Then click the blue Facebook “Join group” button.

Q. Can you join without downloading the e-book?
A. No. I’ve had too many friends lose control of their social media accounts to hackers, so I added this extra step as a precaution.