Blurb:
Samantha and her neighbor, Jake, have no idea that Samantha’s best friend, a parrot named Charlie, is a thousand years old. Charlie is also at the center of a secret battle between magical creatures and an ancient, evil man. When Charlie asks Samantha and Jake to protect him, they are chased by monsters from both sides. To save Charlie, and two worlds, Samantha and Jake have twenty-four hours to figure out how to use the supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find the courage to confront what they fear most…
Appropriate for middle grade/YA and up. (Age 9+)
Appropriate for middle grade/YA and up. (Age 9+)
Read an excerpt:
The monster slithers a dozen yards away, coming fast, both heads reared back. I want to scream.
Ten steps ahead is a big birch. Jake reaches the east side of it, finds a rock, and throws it. He hits one of the cobra heads in the snout, and the beast hisses and veers toward him. Yelling, he bolts.
Squawk! “Jump, kid!” says Charlie.
The other snake head strikes at me.
I leap sideways and the snake misses my legs, catching a mouthful of dirt instead. I’m inches from its long fangs and wrinkled mouth. It gives me a burst of adrenaline.
Gasping, I spurt around the west side of the tree. The snake’s heads chase us on opposite sides of the trunk, one after Jake and one after me. Its body smacks into the tree trunk, the two heads twisting, trying to force the other around its side. Stupid monster. It buys us a few seconds.
Not far ahead, a massive rotting log is leaning against another big tree, its high end four feet off the ground. It’s a natural deadfall in front of a small opening at the base of a pile of boulders. Dad showed it to me several years ago, explaining how dangerous it could be and warning me never to go near it. He said just bumping into it could knock it over.
“Under the tree,” I yell. I watch Jake and trip over a tree root, my legs flying too far out as I try to remain upright. “Don’t touch it,” I croak.
Jake dives beneath it and Charlie flies in low after him.
I stumble to the slanted log off balance and bend over at the waist. The back of my head bangs against the wood when I try to duck beneath it. “Umph.”
Dropping to my knees, I roll to the side several times, ending up on my back. Little rocks and sticks jab through my flannel shirt into my skin.
Behind me, Jake scrambles into the opening in the rocks, shouting, “Sam.”
I tilt my head to see beneath the crack under the log. The cobra is racing toward us, inches above the ground. Feeling exposed, I slide over farther to hide behind the low end of the deadfall.
“Here I am, you stupid worm!” Charlie perches on a rock near Jake, trying to take the snake’s attention away from me. Squawk! “Do something, kid.”
Bringing my knees to my chest, trying to time the snake’s speed, I kick the deadfall with both feet. It’s like hitting a boulder. It doesn’t budge. Huge disappointment. The way Dad described it, a big mosquito flying into it would topple it.
The hissing cobra slides beneath the dead tree five feet from me, and stops abruptly, slowly raising its heads and eyeing Jake and Charlie.
I go rigid while staring at the monster. Please don’t see me.
"WhipEye is a thrilling magical adventure with surprises at every turn, a story that deserves to be read."
- Laurisa White Reyes, author of The Celestine Chronicles series and Editor-in-Chief of Middle Shelf Magazine
“WhipEye is a gripping, imaginative adventure from start to finish. I didn’t want to put it down until the very last page!...I cannot wait to read book two!” -LitPick reviewer
About the Author:
Geoffrey Saign can often be found looking for interesting critters, and magic, while swimming, snorkeling, sailing, or hiking in the woods. His passion for nature and wildlife led to his nationally endorsed book, Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment, as well as his books African Cats and Great Apes. He has assisted in field research with hummingbirds and humpback whales, and sailed as far away as Australia. With more than twenty years of experience working in special education, he has taught adults and children everything from sailing to novel writing. He won the Shabo Award in 2010. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. You can visit Geoff at www.geoffreysaign.net
Geoffrey Saign can often be found looking for interesting critters, and magic, while swimming, snorkeling, sailing, or hiking in the woods. His passion for nature and wildlife led to his nationally endorsed book, Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment, as well as his books African Cats and Great Apes. He has assisted in field research with hummingbirds and humpback whales, and sailed as far away as Australia. With more than twenty years of experience working in special education, he has taught adults and children everything from sailing to novel writing. He won the Shabo Award in 2010. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. You can visit Geoff at www.geoffreysaign.net
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