

A remarkable and ultimately heartwarming story of grief, family, kindness, and being true to yourself. Multiple starred reviews and a rave from the New York Times Book Review, which praised it as “incredibly hopeful.” Part gothic thriller and part seafaring coming-of-age story, this new illustrated middle grade fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge and acclaimed illustrator Emily Gravett is about a strange island filled with ghosts and long-buried secrets. On the island of Merlank, the Dead must not be allowed to linger. The very sight of their ghosts can kill you. When young Milo is thrust into the role of Ferryman following his father’s sudden death, he is the one who must carry away the Dead. Pursued by a vengeful lord and two malignant magicians, Milo must navigate strange and perilous seas where untold threats whisper in the mist. Does he have the courage and imagination to complete his urgent mission? A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year A Horn Book Fanfare List selection
Emily Gravett was born in Brighton, England, the second daughter of a printmaker and an art teacher. She left school at 16 and travelled the UK for eight years, living in a big green bus with her partner and their daughter. After returning to Brighton to take up an art degree, Emily sprang into the limelight with the ground-breaking Wolves in 2005, which won her the Macmillan Prize for Illustration, followed by a book deal and the first of her Kate Greenaway Medals. Wolves was followed by such brilliant modern classics as Orange Pear Apple Bear, Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears, Again! and the exquisite Tidy. Each book is unique and different from the last – and each features endearing, beautifully drawn characters that touch the heart and tickle the funny bone. Emily now lives in Brighton with her family. When not working in her studio, she might be found walking the dog, watering the tomatoes or driving the family’s restored 1960s bus.
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