• Age: 10 to 12
• Grade: 5 to 7

Airborn
Imagine a world where great airships ply the skies, strange creatures wait to be discovered, and adventure lurks around every corner.

Got it? Good. Then you’re ready for this captivating full cast recording, where you’ll follow the adventures of cabin boy Matt Cruse, who manages a daring midair rescue of a stranded traveler in a derelict balloon—and sets in motion a string of events that will either raise him to the heights, or send him crashing to his doom.

Stir in a beautiful-but-feisty society girl, a charming-but-deadly pirate, sky battles, hairsbreadth escapes, giant winged cats, and a lively helping of humor, and you’ve got an irresistible yarn that stands squarely in the tradition of Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, yet is utterly fresh and new.

Skybreaker
High in the sky, far above the normal lanes of travel, drifts a ghost ship carrying unbelievable treasure. Matt Cruse is on the trail of that treasure, with the help of his charming society friend Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy girl named Nadira. With them flies Hal Slater, roguish captain of a boldly designed Skybreaker aircraft that can reach heights previously undreamed of.

But between Matt and his destination stand ruthless pirates, and an even more ruthless businessman. And what Matt’s crew will find when they finally do reach the Hyperion is far more valuable, far more exciting, and far more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Starclimber
Matt Cruse, hero of the wildly popular Airborn and Skybreaker, is back and this time he’s aiming for the stars. But before Matt can join the first mission to space he must survive rigorous training—training made more dangerous by terrorists who are bent on sabotaging the mission before it can begin.

Aboard the audaciously conceived Starclimber Matt finds himself part of a remarkable crew that includes his girlfriend, the charming-but-maddening Kate de Vries—as well as ship’s creator Dr. Turgenev, the irascible Chef Vlad, world-famous photographer Evelyn Karr, and Haiku, a farting monkey. Adventure, danger, and suspense abound as the intrepid voyagers discover unexpected wonders and life-threatening surprises in the world beyond the sky.

KENNETH OPPEL is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide and was adapted into an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award and the Governor General’s Literary Award; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children’s Novel of the Year by The Times (London). He is also the author of Half Brother, This Dark Endeavor, Such Wicked Intent and The Boundless. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and in England and Ireland, and now resides in Toronto with his wife and children.

WEB: www.kennethoppel.ca

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kennethoppel

JON KLASSEN is the author-illustrator of This Is Not My Hat, winner of the Caldecott Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal, and I Want My Hat Back, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. He is also the illustrator of Cats' Night Out, which won the Governor General’s Award; The Dark, a finalist for the same award; House Held Up by Trees, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; Extra Yarn, a Caldecott Honor Book; and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, also a Caldecott Honor Book. He created the concept art for Coraline, the stop-motion animated film based on the book by Neil Gaiman. Originally from Niagara Falls, he now lives in Los Angeles.

WEB: www.burstofbeaden.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/burstofbeaden

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David Kelly is a contributor for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt titles including: "Skybreaker".

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