"Astonishing"— The New York Times Book Review A brilliantly funny, highly illustrated story about how a little ink splot changes a family forever. Perfect for those who love Hoot, Holes, or  Frindle ! The Rylance family is stuck. Dad's got writer's block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project at school--even though he can't draw. Sarah's still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. Enter Inkling. Inkling begins life in Mr. Rylance's sketchbook. But one night the ink of his drawings runs together--and then leaps off the page! This small burst of creativity is about to change everything. Ethan finds him first. Inkling has absorbed a couple chapters of his math book--not good--and the story he's supposed to be illustrating for school--also not good. But Inkling's also started drawing the pictures to go with the story--which is amazing! It's just the help Ethan was looking for! Inkling helps the rest of the family too--for Sarah he's a puppy. And for Dad he's a spark of ideas for a new graphic novel. It's exactly what they all want. It's not until Inkling goes missing that this family has to face the larger questions of what they--and Inkling--truly need. • A New York Times Notable Book •  A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year -- top ten selection •  "A true-to-life family, some can't-put-it-down excitement, a few deep questions, and more than a little bit of magic.  This book is everything, and I loved every page ." — Rebecca Stead , Newbery Medalist for  When You Reach Me Praise for INKLING! "Astonishing."– The   New York Times Book Review " This masterful novel is funny, sad, and profound all at once . Kenneth Oppel has created many unusual protagonists during his stellar career, but his inventiveness reaches a whole new level with Inkling, an inkblot that is fully and vividly alive." — Quill and Quire , Starred "Inkling is at turns hilarious, when he mimics the language of the books he reads, and poignant , when he wonders about his identity and purpose. The undercurrent of loss and grief, not to mention questions of agency and personhood, give the story weight, but do not weigh it down. Smith's energetic and expressive ink drawings are the perfect complement and contribute to the storytelling in playful ways. Oppel’s latest is serious fun ." —Booklist "A unique story about the creative process and the journey through grief." — SLJ " Sweet and funny ." — Kirkus Reviews " Inkling is so clever and intriguing that it deserves a bookshelf all to itself. Once you're done reading, you'll want to keep a very close eye on it." — Carl Hiaasen , Newbery Honor Winner for Hoot "Inkling’s evolving abilities model a realistic creative arc—the creature mimics its most recent literary meal (“I’M UTTERLY ENRAPTURED” follows a stint with L.M. Montgomery) until it eventually discovers its own voice—even as the other characters work through grief and find their own stories."— Publishers Weekly "An enjoyable read for budding young artists." — The Bulletin KENNETH OPPEL is one of the most highly regarded authors of middle-grade fiction writing today. Among his books is the 2015 middle-grade novel The Nest, which received six starred reviews, was the Canadian Library Association's 2016 Book of the Year, a New York Times Editors' Choice, and was included on several notable "Best of 2015" lists, as well as Airborn, a 2005 Printz Honor Book. Find him online at www.kennethoppel.ca and @KennethOppel. SYDNEY SMITH is the illustrator of many award-winning picture books, including Smoot, A Rebellious Shadow by Michelle Cuevas, Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, and Town is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz, for which he was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal. Sydney lives with his family in Toronto, Canada. You can find him on Twitter @Sydneydraws. No one was awake to see it happen, except Rickman. He was taking one of his midnight prowls, padding past the bedrooms of sleeping people, hoping to find something interesting to eat. He was nearly always hungry. Against the wall he found a dead fly, a chocolate chip, and a small piece of red crayon, which he also ate. He was not a picky cat. At the end of the hallway, he slipped into Mr. Rylance’s studio. In front of the drafting table was a chair he liked, and Rickman heaved himself up. It took two tries because he was heftier than he should have been. On the drafting table, Mr. Rylance’s big sketchbook lay open. Animals and buildings and people jostled on the pages. Some pictures had scribbles through them, some were very sketchy, and others looked like they were ready to make an appearance in one of Mr. Rylance’s finished graphic novels. But these were all just ideas. They had no stories to go with them yet. When it happened, it made no noise, but Rickman saw the whole thing. The black ink looked suddenly wet, like the pictures had been drawn that very second. The lines glistened, then trembled. From every co