The Rock of Sarraka - A Spirit Animal Adventure (Brody Boondoggle Book 2)

Written by: Gary Karton

Available In: eBook|Hardcover

Author Website: https://www.amazon.com/Gary-Karton/e/B00EV4URS6/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

The threat to the existence of Sarraka, a land of magic and spirit animals, grows dire in this second book of a middle-grade fantasy series.

In Karton’s first installment (The Last Akaway, 2014), young Brody Boondoggle encountered a magical Akaway. When a strange hunter seriously injured the creature, Brody learned that he must open the portal to her home in Sarraka to save the Akaway and rescue her realm. This sequel, with stops at a prison in Mexico and an extended sojourn in Sarraka—“the place we go to when we let our minds wander and just be free….Like a zip line directly into your imagination”—delivers more challenges that 12-year-old Brody and his motley group of family and friends must face. Brody continues to use his gifts from the Akaway, the last of her kind: the power to connect others to their own spirit animals and the ability to take on the characteristics of any creature (living or extinct) himself. During a dangerous rescue operation in Mexico, Brody visualizes a seal while swimming in the freezing Pacific Ocean (“Just thinking about the harbor seal’s skill and grace in the water gave Brody those abilities, too”). Nefarious video game mogul Uncle Skeeta, his greedy nephew Rudy, and the bitter Felonious Fish return, determined to steal the Rock of Sarraka, the land’s “power, its spirit, its heart.” In this lively, offbeat tale, comical crustacean Punching Crab supplies a key contribution; Brody’s older brother Jake (still wrestling with his disbelief in magic) and their eccentric Grammy are again crucial to the mission; and La Tarántula, a new villain (or is she?), makes a chilling entrance. Some dynamic newcomers play significant roles, including Rosalina, whose spirit animal is an armadillo, and her mysterious brother, Myles. Karton’s unforced blend of action, comedy, and messages—word definitions, observations of human behavior, encouragements to eschew distracting screens for real life—whizzes along to a satisfying cliffhanger, assuring readers that at least one more adventure for Brody and company is in the works.

A rollicking mix of humor, suspense, and well-placed lessons promoting an unfettered imagination and active, real-world engagement.