From the New York Times bestselling author of the Last Magician series comes a “searing and satisfying” ( Kirkus Reviews ) middle grade debut steeped in magical realism about a bird-loving boy who moves to the countryside where he encounters dangerous creatures invading through a rip in the sky. Xavier T. Fletcher is an Odd Duck. At least, that’s what everyone in his sleepy little suburb seems to think. Luckily, birds happen to be the aspiring naturalist’s favorite things, so he doesn’t mind the label quite as much as you might expect. But when Xavier’s father loses his job, everything changes. His family is forced to move to his Nana Susan’s farm. There, he meets Clementine, a strange, messy girl who doesn’t see him as an Odd Duck at all. Too bad she has the unfortunate habit of using her slingshot to hunt the birds he loves. Xavier’s not sure what to think when Clem assures him that they aren’t really birds. He’s even less sure when he discovers that Clem isn’t lying. The bird-like creatures come from the Rend, a tear in the sky between our world and the Nother’s, and the objects they carry in their beaks from that cold, dark place are dangerous. It’s up to Xavier and Clem to find a way to keep the creatures out of our world. But how can he protect the Rend when he suspects Clem hasn’t told him the whole truth about what she’s doing? "The worldbuilding is tight in this eerie take on the battle between good and evil with a distinct message about the environmental impact of human activity…Searing and satisfying.” -- Kirkus Reviews ― 6/1/24 "In her middle grade debut, Maxwell presents through a realistic lens an approachable, magical adventure that’s reminiscent of A Wrinkle in Time ." -- Publishers Weekly ― 7/8/2024 "The enthralling story employs delightfully precise and sophisticated language to conjure a disquieting countryside setting that feels both cozy and menacing in turn. Xavier makes for a charming and compassionate companion, and the complicated familial relationships feel eminently relatable. A pleasurable page-turner with style and suspense to spare." -- Booklist ― 6/1/2024 Lisa Maxwell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Last Magician series and Unhooked . She’s worked around words all her life and is currently a professor at a local college. She has strong opinions about pasta and a soft spot for loud music and fast cars. When she’s not writing books, you can usually find her going on adventures with her husband and two amazing boys. Though she grew up in Akron, Ohio, she now calls northern Virginia home. Follow her on Instagram @LisaMaxwellYA or sign up for her newsletter to learn more about her upcoming books at Lisa-Maxwell.com. Chapter 1 On my second expedition to Indonesia, I learned quite inauspiciously that the weather may turn quickly and unexpectedly. Young Naturalists should take care to note: there is nothing so dangerous as a Perfectly Ordinary Day. —MILTON VON WIMPLE II, Notes for the National Society of Natural Things 1 Xavier T. Fletcher was an Odd Duck. A very Odd Duck. His father thought so, his older brother thought so, and most of the children he went to school with thought so too. Even his mother agreed, and mothers are not supposed to think that sort of thing—even if it might be true. But being considered an Odd Duck didn’t bother Xavier at all. You see, the things that Xavier T. Fletcher loved most in the world were birds. He loved watching birds and reading about birds and studying birds. He’d earned his Junior Ornithological Explorer badge from the National Society of Natural Things by the time he turned eight, which, I assure you, is a very big deal indeed. So it didn’t seem to him too terrible a thing to be considered a duck—odd or otherwise. Ducks, after all, are noble creatures. They are exceedingly adaptable, just like Xavier. For most of his life, it had not mattered that Xavier was a bit different from other children. No one in his neighborhood worried too much that he preferred long afternoons of sitting, calm and still, waiting for a bird to appear or making careful notes in his field journal or studying his scientific guides instead of running races or kicking balls or hitting other children with sticks. After all, he had grown up with the same girls and boys his whole life, and if they thought him a bit different, it was only because he was Xavier T. Fletcher. They were used to his differentness. And anyway, isn’t everyone supposed to be different? One day, however, all that changed. It started out like such a normal summer day, but then Xavier’s father arrived home before dinner. In general, Xavier’s father was a creature that seemed to inhabit the Fletcher home only at night and on rainy weekend days. Arnold Fletcher spent most of his time busy at work or off at one golf course or another, so it was quite surprising for Xavier to have his father appear one afternoon at the back door, briefcase in hand and