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QUERY:

I am seeking representation for my 32,000-word MG fantasy adventure novel entitled MOON DAUGHTER RISING.

All twelve-year-old Native American Annalee wants is to fit in at her new school in Maine, and to find her missing dad. But when she crawls through a tree into her tribe’s spirit world, and meets her furry guardian, she is shocked to discover that her dad may be imprisoned there, in World Above the Sky.

To free her father, she’ll need to seek the counsel of two ancient grandmothers, who are hidden away in a warded fortress. But when Annalee discovers a pair of soul-eating ice giants intend to abduct her, just as they did her dad, she realizes she needs more than the grandmothers’ wisdom: she urgently needs the safe haven of their fortress.

Armed with her dad’s crescent talisman and aided by figures from forgotten tribal legends, Annalee battles to get to safety.  If the ice giants capture her, they’ll use her talisman to rule both Earth and World Above the Sky. But if Annalee kills them, her dad will die too. Outwitting the monsters will compel Annalee to use every ounce of courage and intelligence she has, and to embrace the spirit of the moon daughter rising within.

MOON DAUGHTER RISING is rooted in Micmac tribal myth and culture, and features several of their legends. I believe it will appeal to fans of Bruce Coville’s UNICORN CHRONICLES and Sage Blackwood’s JINX.  It is a stand-alone novel, but has series potential.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

FIRST 250 WORDS:

The dark-shrouded forest outside Annalee’s new home felt dead.  The eerie quietness made it feel as dead as the police claimed her father must be since he hadn’t returned from it.  Annalee laid awake fiddling with her long, black hair and wondering if she would ever see him again. How could a twelve year old get through high school, go on living really, without her dad?  Especially here, in the cabin her grandfather had built and her dad had grown up in?  It hurt too much.

An unearthly howl cut through the silence, followed by a thump, thump much closer. It made goose bumps ran up her arms. It shrilled once more, then thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. Too scared to leave the safety of her bed, Annalee huddled under the covers, hoping that the nightmare would stop. But the rhythmic pounding continued, and she heard a soft whisper vibrate like a kazoo, “wuzz, wuzz, wuzz” answered by a deeper voice that said “wizz izz muzzo, wuzz.”  The second voice tugged at her memory, reminding her of a noise she heard on a walk in the woods just this morning.  Blue, glowing smoke floated through her curtains and caressed her face.

When Annalee awoke hours later, she glanced at her clock and leapt out of bed.  She was late! She’d ask her mom if she’d heard the strange noises later.

            She slid into her desk just as the final bell rang. Several girls in front of her snickered.