Legends of the Lost Causes - by Brad McLelland & Louis Sylvester (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The thrilling first book in a new middle-grade fantasy action-adventure series set in the Old West, about a ragtag team of orphans who must fight off the risen dead

A band of orphan avengers. A cursed stone. A horde of zombie outlaws.

This is Keech Blackwood's new life after Bad Whiskey Nelson descends upon the Home for Lost Causes and burns it to the ground.

With his home destroyed and his family lost, Keech will have to use the lessons he learned from Pa Abner to hunt down the powerful Char Stone. Luckily, he has the help of a ragtag team of orphans. Together, they'll travel through treacherous forests, fight off the risen dead, and discover that they share mysterious bonds as they search for the legendary stone. Now it's a race against the clock, because if Bad Whiskey finds the stone first . . . all is lost.

But Keech and the other orphans won't hesitate. Because they're more than just heroes.

They're Lost Causes.

Praise for Legend of the Lost Causes:

A Junior Library Guild selection

"This is a fun and exciting story, written with the utmost respect for the Osage culture." --Wah-Zha-Zhi Cultural Center

Review Quotes

Praise for Legends of the Lost Causes:

A Junior Library Guild selection

"An adventure with a Louis L'Amour-esque flair refreshed for today's readers by the thoughtful incorporation of American frontier history and Osage culture. This is an easy read for fans of Westerns like Bowman's Vengeance Road." --The Bulletin

"Incorporates aspects of Osage culture and legend into this action-packed series starter. Part western, part zombie flick, this pits scrappy, resourceful kids against some menacing villains--always a recipe for success." --Booklist

"The Old West lingo-laden dialogue is pitch-perfect--not to mention contagious. It's rare to see a Western in middle grade fiction--especially one that, like this one, eliminates some of the genre's more harmful stereotypes of Native populations . . . [this] will surely gain more than a few young fans." --School Library Journal

About the Author

Born and raised in Arkansas, Brad McLelland spent several years working as a crime journalist in the South before earning his MFA in creative writing from Oklahoma State University. A part-time drummer and singer, Brad lives in Oklahoma with his wife, stepdaughter, a mini-Aussie who gives hugs, and a chubby cat who begs for ham.