The second book in the Legendtopia series, fast-paced action-adventure novels that will have you racing through the pages to get to the fantastical finish! Two kids—Kara, a girl from our world, and Prince Fred, a royal boy from the kingdom of Heldstone—join forces to save Urth.   Kara and her royal BFF, Prince Fred, are on the most important mission of their lives. Kara’s long-lost dad is trapped in the magical kingdom of Heldstone—and the two friends are on an epic quest to rescue him.   It won’t be easy. Heldstone is bustling with parades and parties in preparation for the Luminary Ball, an incredible celebration of the royal family. But not everyone is in the mood to celebrate. The evil Sorceress has transformed into the Shadow Queen. She has poisoned the prince’s parents, and unless Kara and Fred find an antidote, the king and queen will be dead in three days. Their search will take them outside the palace walls, into an enchanting and dangerous world of talking animals, fierce monsters, and vegetarian trolls . . . all the while being hunted by the Sorceress and her evil army of shadows.   Can Kara and Fred save their parents? Or will the Shadow Queen destroy them all? Gr 4–6—Whether or not they've read the first title in this series, fans of fantasy will find this sequel engaging and fast-paced. In The Battle for Urth, Kara discovered that a local theme restaurant held a portal to the fantasy kingdom of Heldstone. Together, she and Prince Fred defeated the Sorceress, who was determined to take over both Heldstone and Earth. Now, Kara must locate her missing father, who she believes is trapped in Heldstone. Prince Fred is eager to help, but the quest is interrupted by a royal ball, a scheming mean girl courtier, an assassination plot, and the Sorceress's shadowy new form. Soon, Fred and Kara are trekking across a countryside teeming with trolls, elves, and talking animals. The writing is clear and humorous, the characters are likable, and the plot moves swiftly with plenty of adventure. VERDICT This should be an easy sell for reluctant readers and devoted fantasy enthusiasts alike.—Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA "Engaging and fast-paced . . . the plot moves swiftly with plenty of adventure . "-- SLJ Praise for Lee Bacon’s JOSHUA DREAD : “Funny, action-packed, and a total page-turner .” — Adam Gidwitz ,  New York Times bestselling author of  A Tale Dark & Grimm   Lee Bacon is the author of Legendtopia: The Battle for Urth and the Joshua Dread series. He grew up in Texas. For two years he lived in Germany, where he encountered many castles and zero dragons. He now lives in New Jersey. Visit leebaconbooks.com.   Kara     Welcome to the worst day of my life.   Over the past twenty-four hours, I’ve been attacked by talking frogs, chased by a killer unicorn, and covered in dragon slobber. I found out my dad’s being held prisoner in another dimension. I got into a fight with a couple of ogres in the boys’ bathroom and watched an evil witch turn my normal little town into a fantasy theme park.   I’m Kara Estrada. Until recently, I was living a normal existence. Just a typical sixth grader at Shady Pines Middle School. But that all feels like a distant memory now. My world’s been turned upside down, and I’ve been dumped headfirst into a fantasy story.   It all started with a field trip to Legendtopia (aka the cheesiest restaurant ever). I ended up getting separated from the rest of my class. Wandering into a walk‑in refrigerator, I stumbled onto this strange miniature door.   And like an idiot, I opened it.   On the other side of the door, I found another world. A world known as Heldstone. That’s where I first met Prince Fred. His full name is Prince Frederick Alexander Something Something Blah Blah Pointless Title Something Else the Fourteenth. But I just call him Prince Fred. It’s a whole lot easier that way.   Anyway, the prince followed me back into my world. Unfortunately, so did the Sorceress. She worked her evil enchantment. She turned Legendtopia into a massive fortress. And she tried to transform Earth into her own dark kingdom.   We managed to stop the Sorceress. As her magical castle collapsed in flames all around us, we barely escaped.   Into the refrigerator and through the miniature door.   The magical portal to Fred’s world.   Now that we’re here, I’m one step closer to finding my dad again. He’s being held captive somewhere in Heldstone.   And so here I am: stuck in this strange world, unsure whether I’ll ever make it back home or see my dad again.   Like I said . . .   Worst. Day. Ever.         Prince Fred     What a marvelous day!   We defeated the Sorceress. We destroyed her castle. And we made it back through the miniature doorway. The portal to Heldstone. The portal to my world. And now we’re about to embark on our very own epic quest to rescue Kara’s father.   He discovered Heldstone the same way Kara did: by journeying through