The Skeleton Flute
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- £9.49
Publisher Description
The legend of the Pied Piper meets Sal and Gabi Break the Universe with a touch of Coraline in this “fascinating” (Publishers Weekly) middle grade adventure about a boy whose wish goes horribly wrong and his fight to reunite with his real family.
Sam Windsor’s parents and younger siblings, Grayson and Addie, are his whole world, so when his parents announce they’re separating, Sam is devastated. He’d do anything to make his parents change their minds and keep the family together. When a stranger offers a flute made of bone that supposedly grants the player’s wish, Sam doesn’t really believe it will work but figures he has nothing to lose.
Surprisingly, the wish on the skeleton flute comes true. The next day, his parents are happily in love, with no plans for his dad to leave. But there’s a major problem: his parents’ relationship isn’t the only thing in his life that has changed, and some of the changes are definitely for the worse.
Caught in a world full of unintended consequences and familiar strangers, Sam has limited options for returning to his old life—worries, challenges, and all. Can he track down the mysterious man who gave him the flute and undo his wish?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When his parents announce that they're separating, tween Sam flees on his bike to Stapleton Town Park, where a stranger named Bones offers him a flute that will purportedly grant the user's greatest desire. Initially skeptical, Sam eventually wishes that his parents would stay together, and though his wish comes true, it has unforeseen consequences: his siblings disappear, and his best friend Derek no longer recognizes him. Anxious, Sam confronts Bones, who tells him that there's nothing he can do after a wish is granted. Soon after, Sam begins having nightmares about an alternate version of himself, but he struggles to understand what they mean ("The memory follows me—remains of a dark, haunted place, and a pale, frightened face that belonged to me"). While researching Bones and the flute, Sam meets tween Lena and librarian Helen, both of whom have fallen victim to the instrument's magic. With their help, he tracks down the origins of the stranger and his reasons for targeting Stapleton citizens. Debut author Allen presents a mélange of alternate universe tropes to deliver a fascinating page-turner populated by empathetic characters. Approachable dialogue and fast-paced fun ground conversations surrounding morality, revenge, and forgiveness. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12.
