The Secrets of Underhill - by Kali Wallace (Hardcover)

About the Book

After a dangerous blight strikes the magical ironwood trees her family cares for, eleven-year-old Nick ventures underground to the enchanting world of Underhill and uncovers dark secrets as she tries to save the magical groves.

Book Synopsis

A young apprentice fights to save an ancient grove of magical trees in this page-turning fantasy adventure, perfect for middle grade fans of Kelly Barnhill and Jessica Townsend.

Nick Sixsmith has spent her whole life on the road. The daughter of a traveling arborist, she moves from town to town with her mother, caring for the ironwood groves that people rely upon for survival. When a dangerous blight threatens these magical trees, the Sixsmiths must journey to the city of Mistwood for answers.

Nick can't wait to explore everything Mistwood has to offer: the bustling markets, the neighborhoods nestled behind a roaring waterfall, and the vast ancestral grove of ironwood trees. But dark secrets simmer beneath the surface as people start to disappear and tensions in the city reach a boiling point.

As the mystery grows, Nick and her new friends must follow the trail where it leads them--underground, to a strange and enchanting place called Underhill. Only there, among the roots of the ancestral grove, will Nick find a way to save the ironwood trees and the city she's come to love.

This immersive fantasy adventure combines vivid world-building with timely themes of environmentalism, and young readers will be riveted until the final page.

Review Quotes

"This socially conscious fantasy should appeal to fans of Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon and Christina Soontornvat's A Wish in the Dark."--Alexandra Quay, School Library Journal

"A solid fantasy for nature lovers seeking gentle tales."--Kirkus Reviews

"The Secrets of Underhill is a gorgeously rendered story of strange magic, environmentalism, and what it means to care for the ones we love and the world we live in. This is the exact kind of book that would have hooked me as a young, reluctant reader. I adored every page."--Rebecca Mix, New York Times best-selling author of the Mossheart's Promise duology

"A transportive ecological fantasy as lush in its message as it is in its prose."--Esme Symes-Smith, USA Today best-selling author of the Sir Callie series

"A wonderful, heartfelt adventure, The Secrets of Underhill celebrates friendship, curiosity, and finding magic in the world around you."--Marieke Nijkamp, New York Times best-selling author

"Readers will immediately want to take root in this wonderfully crafted environmental adventure filled with whimsy, heart, and hope."--Justine Pucella Winans, award-winning author of the Stonewall Honor Book The Otherwoods

"A journey to the heart of a spellbinding new world. The Secrets of Underhill is a dazzling, deeply rooted story about how vital it is to feed curiosity, tend to our communities, and nourish a lifelong love and respect for all living things."--Nina Varela, author of Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom

"Enthralling. Kali Wallace has created a lush world full of natural magic and wonder, and I loved getting to join Nick, Oliver, and Lizard as they fight to protect that world."--Lin Thompson, author of The House That Whispers

About the Author

Kali Wallace is the author of books for children and adults, including Hunters of the Lost City, City of Islands, Shallow Graves, and Salvation Day. She lives in Portland, Oregon.