They Threw Us Away
The Teddies Saga
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A dark and gripping middle grade adventure, perfect for fans of Toy Story and Lord of the Flies.
"Truly captivating." —The New York Times
"A deliciously macabre fairy tale, full of snuggles." —Holly Black, award-winning author of Doll Bones and co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles
Welcome to The Teddies Saga, a gripping new middle grade trilogy from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel Kraus and illustrator Rovina Cai.
Buddy wakes up in the middle of a garbage dump, filled with a certain awareness: he's a teddy bear; he spent time at a Store waiting for his future to begin; and he is meant for the loving arms of a child. Now he knows one more thing: Something has gone terribly wrong.
Soon he finds other discarded teddies—Horace, Sugar, Sunny, and Reginald. Though they aren't sure how their luck soured, they all agree that they need to get back to the Store if they're ever to fulfill their destinies. So, they embark on a perilous trek across the dump and into the outer world. With ravenous rats, screeching gulls, and a menacing world in front of them, the teddies will need to overcome insurmountable challenges to find their way home.
Equal parts Toy Story and Lord of the Flies, They Threw Us Away is the unforgettable start of a captivating series that blends elements of horror, adventure, and social themes. This dark and creepy tale will keep middle grade readers on the edge of their seats as they follow the teddies' thrilling quest to find their way back home.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The life of a Furrington Teddy ought to be simple: wait patiently in one's box until purchased and presented to a child, resulting, upon the "child's first loving hug" in the fabled Forever Sleep. When blue teddy Buddy awakens frightened and disoriented in a landfill, he and a band of four other discarded Furringtons of varying colors and dispositions slip into an adventure that pits them against gulls, vermin, and dismal creatures bred by negligence. The Furringtons trudge through the muck and fog of urban environs beyond the garbage heap in search of a child to hug and the truth behind why they were cast aside. Employing a spare, somber tone threaded with moments startling and poignant, Kraus (Bent Heavens) keeps the tale moving at a brisk pace amid its heavy themes. Wispy black-and-white illustrations by Cai (Elatsoe) add to the sense of creeping fear and grim uncertainty. By turns swashbuckling and reflective, touching and disturbing, this existential work of fantasy and horror considers what one is willing to sacrifice when utterly lost. Ages 10 14.
