Shadows of Sherwood

by Kekla Magoon

Overview

"A compelling reboot of the Robin Hood myth." —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians

The night her parents disappear, twelve-year-old Robyn Loxley must learn to fend for herself. Her home, Nott City, has been taken over by a harsh governor, Ignomus Crown. After fleeing for her life, Robyn has no choice but to join a band of strangers—misfit kids, each with their own special talent for mischief.

Setting out to right the wrongs of Crown's merciless government, they take their outlaw status in stride. But Robyn can't rest until she finds her parents. As she pieces together clues from the night they disappeared, Robyn learns that her destiny is tied to the future of Nott City in ways she never expected.

Read all the books in the Robyn Hoodlum series:
Shadows of Sherwood
Rebellion of Thieves
Reign of Outlaws

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681190235
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Series:	A Robyn Hoodlum Adventure
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	455,644
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

KEKLA MAGOON is the award-winning author of the Robyn Hoodlum series, as well as several young adult novels, including the Coretta Scott King Honor Book How It Went Down and The Rock and the River, for which she received the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination. She also coauthored X: A Novel (with Ilyasah Shabazz), which was longlisted for the National Book Award and received an NAACP Image Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor. In addition to writing fiction, Kekla visits schools and libraries nationwide and teaches writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
www.keklamagoon.com
@KeklaMagoon

Editorial Reviews

Modernizing legends can be a tricky business. One must find the resonance between ancient and contemporary, blending incongruous elements in a way that seems not only right but inevitable: telling the story of a founding father with hip-hop lyrics, as in Hamilton, or presenting the myth of Theseus in the milieu of reality television as in The Hunger Games. Kekla Magoon manages a similar feat of legerdemain in Shadows of Sherwood, her compelling reboot of the Robin Hood myth…The narrative will keep young readers turning pages with its breathlessly short chapters, ample derring-do and engaging central mystery…You don't have to be familiar with Robin Hood's Merry Men to enjoy the supporting cast, but Magoon delightfully reimagines the identities of Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet and Maid Marian…Certain archetypes and legends speak more powerfully to certain generations. The main issue Magoon explores in Shadows of Sherwood—that law and justice are not always the same thing—is as timely for 21st-century America as it was for Merry Olde England. Robin Hood is an appropriate hero for our time, and Robyn Hoodlum is a welcome iteration of the legend.

The New York Times Book Review - Rick Riordan

05/18/2015
Robyn Loxley, the 12-year-old daughter of two members of Parliament, regularly sneaks out after dark to scavenge electronics at a junkyard in Nott City. One night, that habit saves her, when military police violently kidnap her parents and other government officials who oppose a power grab by Royal Governor Ignomus Crown. Robyn’s father leaves her cryptic clues—about moon lore and gathering the elements—which suggest that he knew the family was in danger, and that he expects Robyn to play a role in toppling Crown’s regime. Essentially orphaned, Robyn falls in with a (not-so-merry) band of other free-range kids and, like Robin Hood before her, becomes Public Enemy No. 1 when she daringly acts on the injustices she sees in how resources are distributed. Set in the future and paced with one death-defying escape after another, Magoon’s (How It Went Down) story doesn’t end so much as pause. Readers—and Robyn—must wait until at least the second book in the Robyn Hoodlum series to learn the fate of her parents. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"A compelling reboot of the Robin Hood myth." —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians on Shadows of Sherwood

"What makes Magoon’s book unique. . . Is its accessibility to school-age and intermediate readers. . . This exciting page-turner will undoubtedly be a hit." —School Library Journal, starred review

"This colorful adventure does not easily fit into a genre box, as it combines futuristic elements with fantasy and folklore. . . The adventure and cliffhanging ending will entice readers." —Kirkus Reviews

"Award-winning Magoon’s futuristic alternate-universe reboot of Robin Hood marks the first title in a promising new series. . . The episodic quests call to mind the Percy Jackson adventures and will inspire a new generation to connect with Robin Hood’s timeless tale." —Booklist

"Set in the future and paced with one death-defying escape after another, Magoon’s (How It Went Down) story doesn’t end so much as pause. Readers—and Robyn—must wait until at least the second book in the Robyn Hoodlum series to learn the fate of her parents." —Publishers Weekly

"Magoon cleverly weaves elements of the Robin Hood tale into this futuristic story about social justice, friendship, and identity. The wily kid heroes and thrilling adventures will appeal to young readers." —Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
Gr 5–8—This thrilling first book in a new series by award-winning author Kekla Magoon stars the rebellious spitfire Robyn Loxley, a 12-year-old girl whose destiny and heritage as a member of the underground Crescent Rebellion unfolds one night when after returning from a midnight adventure. She finds her parents missing and her home in disarray. Grabbing the secret items her father has trained her to take in case of emergency, Robyn flees into Sherwood Forest, launching headlong into an adventure, where aided by the help of a diverse set of loyal friends she meets along the way, Robyn sets out on a journey to find out the truth about what happened to her parents. Guided by the words of her father and by her internal compass that sways towards justice, Robyn can't help but to challenge the evil despot Ignomus Crown and his oppressive totalitarian state. Her adventure leads to her to unlock the mystery behind the secret words, "Breath, Blood, Bone," that seems to hold the key to her mission. Magoon deftly plays off the traditional folkloric Robin Hood narrative, with a contemporary twist that champions the ingenuity and bravery of the heroine Robyn in her charge to bring balance and rightness back to her home, Nott City. Shadows of Sherwood is on point with the popular trend of dystopian novels. What makes Magoon's book unique, however, is its accessibility to school-age and intermediate readers, who are sure to be enticed by Robyn's spunk and vulnerability. Magoon masterfully weaves in hallmarks of familial traditions by threading Robyn's beautifully braided long hair into an essential plot element. VERDICT This exciting page-turner will undoubtedly be a hit.—Lettycia Terrones, California State University, Pollak Library, Fullerton , CA

School Library Journal

2015-06-06
Robyn is a fearless 12-year old who always seems to find trouble in this futuristic take on Robin Hood. "She would have preferred having a friend to join her from time to time, but she found it hard to interest the other girls in even the most harmless sorts of mischief." Her curiosity saves her life when she is out prowling in the Castle District as armed guards seize her parents, government officials, in a coup. Driven by fear and confusion, Robyn tries to learn what happened to her parents. She is joined by Laurel, a street-savvy orphan, and eventually Key, a boy who has made a home in a treehouse. As Robyn and her friends follow clues left by her father, her technical abilities and instincts help them avoid capture. However, Robyn's efforts to help the downtrodden of Sherwood make her most wanted by the new regime. This colorful adventure does not easily fit into a genre box, as it combines futuristic elements with fantasy and folklore. The novel's strengths are its compelling mixed-race protagonist and her growing band of friends. Robyn knows some were biased against her father's dark skin, but the differences between people in the story have more do with societal position than race. Although the action sometimes slows as series components are introduced, the adventure and cliffhanging ending will entice readers. (Adventure. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews