The nest /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

" The Nest leaves a lasting mark on the memory." -- The New York Times Book Review

Steve just wants to save his baby brother--but what will he lose in the bargain? Kenneth Oppel's ( Silverwing , The Boundless ) haunting gothic tale for fans of Coraline , is one of the most acclaimed books of the year, receiving six starred reviews. Illustrations from Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen.

For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, it's just another season of worries. Worries about his sick newborn baby brother who is fighting to survive, worries about his parents who are struggling to cope, even worries about the wasp's nest looming ominously from the eaves. So when a mysterious wasp queen invades his dreams, offering to "fix" the baby, Steve thinks his prayers have been answered.

All he has to do is say "Yes." But "yes" is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back?

Celebrated author Kenneth Oppel creates an eerie masterpiece in this compelling story that explores disability and diversity, fears and dreams, and what ultimately makes a family. Includes illustrations from celebrated artist Jon Klassen.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

The Nest THE FIRST TIME I SAW them, I thought they were angels. What else could they be, with their pale gossamer wings and the music that came off them, and the light that haloed them? Right away there was this feeling they'd been watching and waiting, that they knew me. They appeared in my dreams the tenth night after the baby was born. Everything was a bit out of focus. I was standing in some kind of beautiful cave, with shimmering walls like white fabric, lit from outside. The angels were all peering down at me, floating in the air. Only one came close, so luminous and white. I don't know how, but I knew it was a she. Light flowed from her. She was very blurry, not at all human-looking. There were huge dark eyes, and a kind of mane made of light, and when she spoke, I couldn't see a mouth moving, but I felt her words, like a breeze against my face, and I understood her completely. "We've come because of the baby," she said. "We've come to help." Excerpted from The Nest by Kenneth Oppel All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Oppel (The Boundless) enters Gaimanesque territory with his portrayal of Steve, an older brother struggling with anxiety and his family's distress after his newborn brother, Theodore, is diagnosed with a rare congenital disorder. After a curious gray and white wasp from the hive above their house stings Steve, he develops the ability to speak to the hive's queen, who promises to replace the ailing baby with a new one. Agreeing to the queen's offer, Steve confronts a dangerous traveling knife sharpener, his parents' concerns over his mental health, and strange phone calls from Mr. Nobody, a family legend turned real, it seems. As Theodore's health deteriorates, Steve must decide what is best for his brother and what he will do to save him. Oppel infuses the natural world of the hive with chilling scenes of the queen's heartlessness ("Before you know it, you'll forget all about that crappy little broken baby") while Klassen's graphite drawings hauntingly depict the family's stress (an early image, all angles and shadows, shows Steve's parents standing solemnly over the baby's crib), as well as increasing tension between Theodore's complications and the wasps' growing power. In exploring the boundaries of science, self-determination, and belief, Oppel uses a dark and disturbing lens to produce an unnerving psychological thriller. Ages 8-12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-Steve has a lot to worry about-the dark, the new baby that is struggling to survive, his parents, his sister, and the wasps that seem to be everywhere. His dreams are troubled, and he always sleeps buried in his blanket with just a breathing hole because it feels safer. But then, the "angels" appear in his dreams promising to make the baby better-to make the baby perfect-and all Steve has to do is say yes. However, Steve has no idea at what price the promised miracle comes. Soon, his peaceful dreams of kind angels begin to darken, and reality presents itself in terrifying twisted turns. Narrator Gibson Frazier's pacing is so smooth that readers will forget themselves as they are caught up in this increasingly horrifying tale. Frazier's vocal changes for each character are subtle but convincing and well in keeping with the haunting events of the story. VERDICT Listeners who are fond of horror and suspense will find a chilling tale awaits them in this well-done presentation. ["This affecting middle grade psychological thriller is recommended as a first purchase for libraries": SLJ 8/15 starred review of the S. & S. book.]-Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Steven's parents just had a baby, Theo, but there's something wrong with him, and a pall of worry and sadness falls over his family. Meanwhile, a papery wasp's nest appears under the eaves of the house, just outside Theo's room, and Steven starts to dream of an angelic wasp who promises to fix whatever's wrong with the baby. At first, Steven is comforted by the wasp's soft assurances. But the wasp's plans grow more and more sinister, until they turn shockingly ugly: before you know it, you'll forget all about that crappy little broken baby. In Steven's restrained present-tense, first-person narrative, the wasp's dreadful plan slowly creeps into view, while Steven becomes increasingly determined to protect Theo, even though it would be easier for everyone if he weren't sick or broken. The brilliance of Oppel's storytelling lies in his ability to seamlessly integrate the wasp's cruel beliefs about worthiness into Steven's own fears about himself. Steven, who has a therapist to deal with his anxiety, believes he, too, is broken, and it isn't until he understands the grotesque lengths to which the wasps plan to go that he accepts Theo and himself for all his imperfections. Klassen's eerie, atmospheric illustrations, all shadowy corners and half-concealed shapes, contribute to the spooky mood. With subtle, spine-chilling horror at its heart, this tale of triumph over monsters both outside and in is outstanding. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Printz-winning, New York Times best-selling Oppel and Caldecott-winning Klassen are a match made in kid-lit heaven. Expect ample buzz.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Steves baby brother came home from the hospital sick (there was something wrong with his heart and his eyes and his brain) and needing lots of care, so his parents dont pay much attention when Steve becomes afraid of the wasps in the backyard. He finds comfort in a recurring dream in which a compassionate voice offers to make everything better. All Steve must do is say yes to the offer, and his dream confidante will turn her promise of a healthy baby into reality. But as he learns more about the wasps that have built their nest outside baby Theos room, this easy fix starts to look like too sinister a bargain. Oppels (Airborn, rev. 7/04, and sequels; The Boundless, rev. 5/14) newest novel is a tight and focused story about the dangers of wishing things back to normal at any cost. The language is straightforward, rarely derailed by extraneous details, but the emotional resonance is deep, and Steves precarious interactions with the honey-voiced queen make ones skin crawl. Klassens full-page black-and-white drawingssimple, but with maximum impact, in shades of light, dark, and darkerastutely capture the magnitude of a childs imagination when he can rely only upon himself. sarah berman (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

Steven must fight for his own life as well as for his baby brother's when he's offered a chance to exchange human life for something better. Steve has figured out strategies to cope with many of his anxieties and OCD behaviors, but this summer the pressure is on. Readers see through Steve's eyes his parents' fears for the new baby, whose congenital health issues are complicated and unusual. Readers may find parallels with Skellig in the sibling anxiety and the odd encounter with a winged creaturebut here the stranger is part of something sinister indeed. "We've come to help," assures the winged, slightly ethereal being who offers a solution to Steven in a dream. "We come when people are scared or in trouble. We come when there's grief." Oppel deftly conveys the fear and dislocation that can overwhelm a family: there's the baby born with problems, the ways that affects the family, and Steve's own struggles to feel and be normal. Everything feels a bit skewed, conveying the experience of being in transition from the familiar to the threateningly unfamiliar. Klassen's several illustrations in graphite, with their linear formality and stillness and only mere glimpses of people, nicely express this sense of worry and tension. Steve's battle with the enemy is terrifying, moving from an ominous, baleful verbal conflict to a pitched, physical, life-threatening battle. Compelling and accessible. (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

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

Jon Klassen is a Canadian-born author-illustrator. He has written and illustrated the acclaimed Hat series, including I Want My Hat Back , This Is Not My Hat , and We Found a Hat . Highlights of his illustrated books are Cats' Night Out by Caroline Stutson, Sam & Dave Dig A Hole by Mac Barnett, The Dark by Lemony Snicket, and The Wolf, The Duck & The Mouse also by Mac Barnett. His books have won a Caldecott medal and two Caldecott honors and other international awards. He lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and son.