• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 4 to 6

All aboard for a non-stop fantasy adventure on the Titanic of trains!

"Will stares up, too. The locomotive steams, her hot breath curling from the smokestacks atop the three-storey boiler. He can feel the tremor of her expectant power through the station platform, through the very air. Massive and black, she’s like something forged with lightning and thunder."

Will Everett wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but after his family’s fortunes change, he finds himself with a first-class ticket for The Boundless. The longest, most glamorous locomotive in the world, it stretches more than eleven kilometres long and pulls an astounding 987 cars: passenger cars, shooting galleries, gardens, an onboard swimming pool, cinema and much more. But its maiden voyage won’t be a smooth ride for Will. After witnessing a murder during a station stop, he barely makes it back onto the train (with a running leap!), then must work his way from the caboose forward to his father in first class—with the murderer and his cronies on his tail. Luckily, a clever and nimble friend is perfecting her act in The Boundless’s circus car, and there the real thrill ride begins. Sasquatches, bog-dwelling hags and illusions abound in this outsized middle-grade adventure.

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

Kenneth Oppel's profile page

“Vividly imagined...heart-stopping action scenes involving dozens of memorable characters. An epic journey novel with a distinctive setting, a powerful sense of adventure, and just a whiff of steampunk. Expect hoards of passengers aboard The Boundless.”

Booklist <strong>(starred review)</strong>

With its imaginative plot, cast of colorful, well-rounded characters, and nonstop action, Oppel’s latest is a delight to read from the first page right through the satisfying conclusion. Take note: This book will be popular!”

School Library Journal <strong>(starred review)</strong>

Winner, Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Book Award Finalist, Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist, CLA Book of the Year for Children Award Finalist, Forest of Reading Red Maple Award E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book Working Mother, Kobo Books.

No Source

Named a Best Book of the Year by Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Amazon, Today’s Parent, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, School Library Journal, Quill & Quire, Chaptersindigo.ca,

No Source

“A wild, cinematic ride: Canadian railway history, fantasy, a flutter of romance- and a thoughtful examination of social injustice-collide in this entertaining swashbuckler.”

Kirkus Reviews <strong>(starred review)</strong>