“A wildly imaginative world and a plot full of unexpected twists and turns, not to mention plenty of witty banter.” –Sarah Prineas, author of the Magic Thief series”Out-of-this world magic, laugh-out-loud humor, and a cast of lovable characters.” –Sage Blackwood, author of the Jinx series”A solid fantasy adventure with several laugh-out-loud moments.” –School Library JournalA thrilling new middle grade fantasy from Texas Bluebonnet Award winner Joel Ross. Packed with adventure and humor and filled with goblins, royals, and magic, this is a tale of unlikely heroes who embark on a daring quest.Boot boy Ji is tired of scrubbing soles and untangling shoelaces. He doesn’t want to bow and scrape. All he wants is freedom–for himself and his friends.He decides to risk everything for a chance to accompany a young nobleman to the Diadem Rite, a magical ritual that chooses the heir to the Summer Crown. Ji doesn’t care about crowns or ceremonies, but he vows that this trip will grant him and his friends new lives, far away from boots and bowing.What Ji doesn’t know is that he and his friends have a dangerous part to play in the Diadem Rite. One that will change them forever.
Joel Ross is the author of The Fog Diver, which received the Cybils Award and the YouPer Award from the Michigan Library Association and was named to the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. He is also the author of The Lost Compass as well as two World War II thrillers for adults (Double Cross Blind and White Flag Down). He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Lee Nichols, who is also a full-time writer, and their son, Ben, who is a full-time kid. To find out more information, go to www.fogdiver.com.