Spirit Quest

Skyco, an Algonquin boy, is heir to the great chief Menatonon, but he has much to learn before he can take his place within the tribe. After helping rescue the tribe's shaman, Roncommock, from a bear attack, Skyco learns that the bear is his spirit animal and will guide him on his quest to become a man. Roncommock teaches Skyco how to enter the spirit world and communicate not just with the spirits who guide their people, but also how to connect with the animals around them. He steps into the bodies and minds of an ant, a fish, and a bird, and each show him something new about the world—knowledge that he will need to be a great leader. He also learns other practical skills like hunting, canoe building, and how to start a fire. Learning to properly use an atlatl and a bow are just precursors to Skyco's ultimate test, the husquenaugh, when Skyco is challenged to use his hard-earned skills to survive the harrowing, life-or-death ritual. Can Skyco pass the ultimate test and take his rightful place as heir? A book of rousing adventure and historical relevance, The Legend of Skyco: Spirit Quest brings to life the world of the Algonquin tribe before the arrival of English explorers. 

Jennifer Frick-Ruppert

Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Clemson University and is currently the Dalton Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Brevard College in western North Carolina. Originally from South Carolina, she grew up with a love of nature and the outdoors. Her other two books are Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians and Waterways: Sailing the Southeastern Coast. Both are about southeastern biodiversity.

Lorna Murphy

Lorna Murphy is an author and illustrator of children's books based in Suffolk, UK. She grew up on the coast but has been landlocked for 20 years. She still misses the sea. After 16 years working in the public sector, she decided enough was enough and signed up to study illustration, at the Cambridge School of Art in the UK. It was here that she discovered the world of illustrated books and has been hooked ever since. Since graduating with an MA in Children's Book Illustration, she has worked as a freelance illustrator of children’s books for clients such as MacMillan and Burroughs Wellcome as well as many independent publishers. She feels very privileged to be living and working in a world of books and the children who love them. When not working as a freelance illustrator, she spends her time creating her own books, writing, critiquing, and attending any event with the words: 'book' or 'illustration' in the title. She can often be found wandering around the East Anglia with a sketchbook or camera in search of inspiration.

Marketing & Publicity
  • Comprehensive social media campaign
  • Goodreads ARC giveaways
  • Ad in two issues of DearReader.com, reaching over 10,000 librarians and 470,000 consumers
  • Note on Shelf Awareness Reader, reaching over 410,000 consumers
  • Inclusion in Buzz Books 2017 Spring/Summer YA issue
  • Author signing books on 4/18/17 at Highland Books in Brevard, NC