Kenneth Oppel - Author
Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn won a Printz Honor Award, and the Canadian Governor General’s Prize. Its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller. His Silverwing trilogy has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, and has been adapted as an animated TV series and stage play. Movie rights in This Dark Endeavour have been bought by the producers of Twilight. Read the author's biography here.
Photo credit Mark Raynes Roberts
March 2017 NewGen Book of the Month. In a Nutshell: Romancing the Bones | There’s rivalry, romance and skullduggery galore in this rip-roaring read following two epic expeditions to unearth an extraordinary dinosaur skeleton in the Badlands of early twentieth century America. Rachel is the sharp-minded, snake-keeping daughter of Professor Cartland, chair of paleontology at Yale University. While she’s frustrated by the crippling confines of her era, Rachel’s passion for natural science knows no bounds and so she implements an inspired scheme to accompany her dad on a major expedition. Samuel is the son of volatile Professor Bolt, a self-taught fossil expert and collector. When Samuel first sets eyes on Rachel, he’s immediately drawn to her. She’s an enigma, unlike any other girl he’s ever met. Soon enough, their lives entwine when it turns out that they’re both seeking the same thing: the bones of the legendary Black Beauty dinosaur. As the rivalry between their feuding fathers intensifies, so too does their connection, and the double-crossing, dinosaur-loving duo surreptitiously meet, sharing updates on the progress of their respective endeavors as their relationship deepens. But all loyalties are well and truly put to the test when a real danger emerges… The novel’s refreshingly original premise has been executed with lashings of elegance and energy, and the historical details about paleontology and Native American peoples are utterly engrossing - this truly is a treasure trove of adventure and romance. ~ Joanne Owen
Mishaps and madness ensue when magical drawing ink comes to life in the Rylance home and 11-year-old Ethan tries to prove he's just as talented as his famous father. A moving but light-hearted story about grief, family and a sixth-grade rivalry. When Ethan's class is given the task of creating a graphic novel and magical ink jumps out of his father's sketchbook, a strange series of events is set into motion. To his younger sister, Inkling is Lucy, her beloved dog; to his father, Inkling is a second chance at a dwindling career and a chance to solve his family's money worries. Friends and enemies alike try to use Inkling to ace tests and create bestselling comic books, but to Ethan, Inkling is his friend - and he must do everything in his power save him.
Somewhere in the Badlands, embedded deep in rock and sand, lies the skeleton of a massive dinosaur, larger than anything the world has ever seen. To seventeen-year-old Samuel Bolt - just kicked out of school - it's the Rex , the king dinosaur that could put him and his archaeologist father in the history books, if they can just dig it out. But Samuel and his father aren't the only ones after the Rex. For Rachel Cartland this find could be her ticket to a different life, one where she can explore her loves of science and adventure. But if she can't prove herself to her father on this expedition, the only adventures she'll have to look forward to are marriage or spinsterhood. As their paths cross and the rivalry between their fathers becomes more intense, Samuel and Rachel are pushed closer together. And with both after the same prize, their budding romance seems destined to fail. But as danger looms on the other side of the hills, Samuel and Rachel are forced to make a decision. Can they find the skeleton-and with it a new life together-or will the rivalry tear them apart?
The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels. The baby is sick. Mom and Dad are sad. And all Steve has to do is say, Yes to fix everything. But yes is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back? Treading the thin line between dreams and reality, Steve is stuck in a nightmare he can't wake up from and that nobody else understands. And all the while, the wasps' nest is growing, and the 'angel' keeps visiting Steve in the night. A haunting coming of age story that will hold you captive, The Nest is lyrical, surreal and one of the most moving stories you'll read this year.
March 2017 NewGen Book of the Month. In a Nutshell: Romancing the Bones | There’s rivalry, romance and skullduggery galore in this rip-roaring read following two epic expeditions to unearth an extraordinary dinosaur skeleton in the Badlands of early twentieth century America. Rachel is the sharp-minded, snake-keeping daughter of Professor Cartland, chair of paleontology at Yale University. While she’s frustrated by the crippling confines of her era, Rachel’s passion for natural science knows no bounds and so she implements an inspired scheme to accompany her dad on a major expedition. Samuel is the son of volatile Professor Bolt, a self-taught fossil expert and collector. When Samuel first sets eyes on Rachel, he’s immediately drawn to her. She’s an enigma, unlike any other girl he’s ever met. Soon enough, their lives entwine when it turns out that they’re both seeking the same thing: the bones of the legendary Black Beauty dinosaur. As the rivalry between their feuding fathers intensifies, so too does their connection, and the double-crossing, dinosaur-loving duo surreptitiously meet, sharing updates on the progress of their respective endeavors as their relationship deepens. But all loyalties are well and truly put to the test when a real danger emerges… The novel’s refreshingly original premise has been executed with lashings of elegance and energy, and the historical details about paleontology and Native American peoples are utterly engrossing - this truly is a treasure trove of adventure and romance. ~ Joanne Owen
The hunt for a dinosaur skeleton buried in the Badlands, bitter rivalries, and a forbidden romance come together in this beautifully written new novel thats Romeo and Juliet meets Indiana Jones.Somewhere in the Badlands, embedded deep in centuries-buried rock and sand, lies the skeleton of a massive dinosaur, larger than anything the late nineteenth century world has ever seen. Some legends call it the Black Beauty, with its bones as black as ebony, but to seventeen-year-old Samuel Bolt its the rex, the king dinosaur that could put him and his struggling, temperamental archaeologist father in the history books (and conveniently make his father forget hes been kicked out of school), if they can just quarry it out.But Samuel and his father arent the only ones after the rex. For Rachel Cartland this find could be her ticket to a different life, one where her loves of science and adventure arent just relegated to books and sitting rooms. Because if she cant prove herself on this expedition with her professor father, the only adventures she may have to look forward to are marriage or spinsterhood.As their paths cross and the rivalry between their fathers becomes more intense, Samuel and Rachel are pushed closer together. And with both eyeing the same prize, their budding romance seems destined to fail. But as danger looms on the other side of the hills, causing everyones secrets to come to light, Samuel and Rachel are forced to make a decision. Can they join forces to find their quarryand with it a new life togetheror will old enmities and prejudices keep them from both the rex and each other?
The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels. The baby is sick. Mom and Dad are sad. And all Steve has to do is say, Yes to fix everything. But yes is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back? Treading the thin line between dreams and reality, Steve is stuck in a nightmare he can't wake up from and that nobody else understands. And all the while, the wasps' nest is growing, and the 'angel' keeps visiting Steve in the night. A haunting coming of age story that will hold you captive, The Nest is lyrical, surreal and one of the most moving stories you'll read this year.
Ben Tomlin has been an only child for thirteen years. So when his research-scientist parents bring home a baby chimp to raise as a human child, Ben's life is turned upside-down. Teaching a baby chimp how to understand language is not his idea of fun, especially when he's trying to settle in at his new school. But it isn't long before Zan's infectious personality endears him to everyone and he becomes a real member of the family. But just what will happen when he grows up and the experiment comes to an end? Ben must take dramatic steps, and the repercussions ricochet through his home and community with devastating results. This phenomenal novel is a thought-provoking story of relationships and family, first love, growing up, ethics and dilemmas.
Steve just wants to save his baby brotherbut what will he lose in the bargain? This is a haunting gothic tale for fans of Coraline, from acclaimed author Kenneth Oppel (Silverwing, The Boundless).For some kids summer is a sun-soaked season of fun. But for Steve, its 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 wasps 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.
Shade is a young Silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he is determined to prove himself on the long and dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a torrential storm, Shade is swept away from his family, his friends, and the only life he has ever known. Alone and frightened as winter fast approaches and temperatures plunge, Shade must make a remarkable journey to rejoin his colony to the south.
Kenneth Oppel concludes the Silverwing trilogy in this amazing story where the stakes could not be higher - The earth heaves and splits in a terrible quake and Griffin, a Silverwing newborn, is sucked into a fissure deep below the earth. Shade, Griffin's father, soon realises that his son has been drawn into the Underworld, and embarks on the most dangerous of journeys to rescue him. Shade knows he must find Griffin quickly, but something else is hunting Griffin - a deadly foe Shade hoped he would never see again. Who will find Griffin first? And will they survive the perilous journey back to the land of the living?
Sunwing continues Shade's epic adventure begun in Silverwing. Shade discovers a mysterious human building containing a vast forest. Home to thousands of bats, the indoor forest is as warm as a summer night and teeming with insects to eat. And through the glass roof the bats can finally see the sun, free from the tyranny of the deadly owls. But is this bat paradise all that it seems? Shade and his Brightwing friend Marina aren't so sure. Shade has seen Humans enter the forest and take away hundreds of sleeping bats for an unknown purpose. And where is Shade's father? In this thrilling continuation of Shade's saga, Kenneth Oppel expands the adventure and poignancy of Silverwing and takes it to a new level of excitement.
After a murder is committed, Will finds himself in possession of a key that has the potential to unlock the train's hidden treasures. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before someone else winds up dead. With villains fast on his heels and strange creatures lurking outside the windows, the train hurtles across the country as Will flees for his life. His adventure may have begun without his knowing...but how it ends is now entirely up to Will.
In Silverwing, Shade, a young Silverwing bat, gets separated from his colony and must set out on a dangerous journey to find his way back to them.Shades story continues in Sunwing, as he travels to the far southern jungle, where he will do all he can to find his fatherand save the world from eternal night.In Firewing, Shade's son Griffin is sucked into the Underworld, and Shade must save him before a deadly foe finds him first.<p.Sixty-five million years before Shades adventures in Silverwing, Dusk fights his urge to flap and Carnassial gives into his instincts to become a vicious predator in Darkwing.
In Airborn, enter a past in which airplanes have never been invented, giant airships rule the skies and the glittering skyscrapers of Lionsgate City, Canadas greatest metropolis, rise near the Pacificus Ocean. When Matt Cruse, the cabin boy on the luxury airship Aurora, fearlessly performs a dramatic rescue to save an old man from his damaged hot air balloon, he doesnt know what events hes setting in motion. Will he and the balloonists fiery granddaughter, Kate de Vries, be able to solve the mystery of impossible flying creatures seen among the clouds? And will they figure it out before pirates and shipwreck end their voyage forever?Pushed high into the sky by a storm over the Indian Ocean, the decrepit training ship Flotsam makes an astonishing discovery before being forced to descend. Adrift at 20,000 feet is a tattered, ice-crusted airship bearing the name Hyperion. Could it really be the legendary lost craft, now a vast treasure and a frozen mausoleum to a ghostly crew? Matt Cruse is the only member of Flotsams oxygen-starved crew able to remember the ghost ships coordinatesand it seems as if everyone in the fabulous city of Paris wants them. In Skybreaker, Matt and Kate de Vries are challenged with another thrilling adventure, this time among the icy dangers and strange wonders of the upper atmosphere.At long last, Matt Cruse is at the helm. Though its only a summer job piloting a humble aerocrane, hes thrilled to be helping to build the Celestial Tower, Pariss extraordinary gateway to outer space. But Matts idyllic summer is short-lived. He narrowly survives a deadly attack by the fanatical Babelites, who are opposed to humans reaching the heavens. Worse still, his nights spent stargazing with Kate de Vries must end when shes summoned back to Lionsgate City by her parents. But then the chance of a lifetime boosts Matts hopes of being airborne once more. Canada wants to reach space first, and the Canadian Minister of Air has asked Kate to join the first expedition as an expert on aerial zoology. Theres a place for Matt, tooif he can pass the gruelling tests to become one of the worlds first astralnauts on board the incredible ship Starclimber.
Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one. The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library again, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life. Additional content in This Dark Endeavour includes pages from Victor Frankenstein's sketchbook.Such Wicked Intent continues the story of Victor Frankenstein. Tragedy has forced him to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library and vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences againjust as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brothers betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victors twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, they venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.This special ebook edition also includes Mary Wollstonecraft Shelleys classic tale, Frankenstein.
After a murder is committed, Will finds himself in possession of a key that has the potential to unlock the train's hidden treasures. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before someone else winds up dead. With villains fast on his heels and strange creatures lurking outside the windows, the train hurtles across the country as Will flees for his life. His adventure may have begun without his knowing...but how it ends is now entirely up to Will.
A train gets waylaid in the middle of nowhere, and Luke and his dad find themselves with four hours to kill before its fixed. Just enough time for a trip to the mysterious, decrepit old museum on the edge of town. A short story from Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka.
When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again, just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother's betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When Victor and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with their friend Henry, they venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.
WITH BONUS MATERIAL: Pages from Victor Frankenstein's sketchbook and an excerpt from the upcoming sequel, Such Wicked Intent, available August 2012. Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages, and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library again, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and loveand how much he is willing to sacrifice.
Max is the cook's dog. And because he is also the king's taster, Max gets to feast on French Fries! Rose Pudding! Cheese Pie! Pizza! No wonder Max loves his job. Who wouldn't want to dine on these delicious dishes? The new king, that's who. And if the new king has his way, it won't just be their job that the cook and Max lose!
