Journey Beyond The Burrow Archives -

Middle Grade Book Review – Journey Beyond the Burrow

June 29, 2021
goodreadswithronna
Action and Adventure, Ages 8-12, Animals, Family & Relationships, MG Fiction, Mice, Middle Grade Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

IT’S A TWO-WEEK COUNTDOWN

UNTIL THE PUBLICATION OF …

JOURNEY BEYOND THE BURROW

Written by Rina Heisel

(Harper/Harper Collins Children’s Books; $16.99, Ages 8-12)

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION!

What an action-packed journey! In Rina Heisel’s riveting debut middle-grade novel, Journey Beyond the Burrow, you’ll find yourself entering a world way down low, perhaps a place you don’t often look. After being so caught up in the forest floor escapades while reading, I found myself wanting to tread carefully when putting down the book and stepping onto my bedroom rug.

Readers are quickly introduced to the main character, a resourceful weather scout mouse named Tobin. Everyone in his burrow has a role to play and Tobin takes his responsibilities quite seriously. In fact, he often quotes from the Rules of Rodentia and is a stickler about following them. Not so for his best bud Wiley. He couldn’t be more opposite of Tobin, taking risks and thriving from them. Talia, Tobin’s younger sister, just wants to be accepted by her older brother and his pal. Her fearlessness and smarts make it hard to turn her down on their eventual mission.

When a storm and downed tree threatens the burrow and allows menacing spiders called Arakni to cross a creek into their territory, life suddenly changes for this “little band of misfits.” Spotting a web sack on the back of one escaping Arakni in which Tobin and Talia’s newborn baby brother has been wrapped, the trio embark on a dangerous journey to rescue the “pinkling.” Encounters with hawks, chipmunks, catfish, snakes, foxes, falcons, possums, woodchucks, owls, snapper turtles, and beavers will get your pulse racing since every new woodland creature is a potential predator.

Following the foul scent of the Arakni that stole their baby brother, Tobin and Talia along with Wiley are determined to find the Arakni lair and rescue the pinkling. Things get even more interesting when the mice team up with an unexpected and unlikely ally named Hess. Weaving animal facts with fascinating storytelling, Heisel takes readers across creeks, past orange toadstools, through tunnels, across gorges and hilltops to challenge the Arakni, a formidable enemy every reader will want vanquished.

One close page-turning call follows another and mimics what life must be like for animals in the wild. Each time the team of determined characters seem to be goners, the Rules of Rodentia are put to the test. I wondered at what point Tobin would abandon his rule-following resolve and wing it. When he finally realizes that making up their own rules as they go might be the only option for this risky rescue mission, Tobin, with the help of the others, becomes destined for success. It’s clear how much this journey helped Tobin grow within himself and as a son, a friend, and older brother. This brave weather scout might have to add some new rules to the list after this harrowing but also exciting experience.

It was so great spending time with Tobin, Talia, Wiley, and Hess that when I reached the end I wasn’t ready to leave them. Heisel has introduced a group of well-defined characters to care about and root for. And as Talia says to Hess, “I don’t want to say goodbye, either.” Here’s to reunions!

Publication Date: July 13, 2021, but Journey Beyond the Burrow is available for preorder now.

Preorder from Red Balloon for signing copy, bookmark, & sticker: https://bit.ly/JBTB-RB

Website: Home (rinaheisel.com)

Twitter: @rinaheisel

Instagram: Rina.Heisel

Middle Grade Cover Reveal for Journey Beyond The Burrow

October 8, 2020
goodreadswithronna
Action & Adventure, Ages 8-12, Animals, Contemporary Fantasy, Cover Reveal, Fantasy & Magic, Middle Grade Fiction

IT’S COVER REVEAL TIME!

Today we’re happy to be heading out into the woods.

So put on some shoes and grab a sweater.

Then feast your eyes on this beautiful cover!

JOURNEY BEYOND THE BURROW

Written by Rina Heisel

HarperCollins

•Coming July 13, 2021•

SUMMARY:

To survive in the deep woods, a mouse needs to know a thing or two. That’s why Tobin knows the Rules of Rodentia like the back of his paw. Trust scent before sight. Avoid predictable paths. Always do what’s best for the Great Burrow.

As long as he can remember, the Rules have kept Tobin, his family, and all the mice of the Great Burrow safe. Or, as safe as mice can be. Things do happen. Like the night a powerful thunderstorm knocks down a tree, creating a bridge over a nearby creek. The tree-bridge becomes a path for a new predator: one with eight legs, a voracious appetite, and a mission. No one is prepared as a pair of the monstrous arachnids march upon the Great Burrow. Hiding in a tiny alcove, Tobin watches as the spiders trudge through the tunnels and then scuttle away…with his brand-new baby brother in tow.

The Rules of Rodentia say never follow a predator. Never cross the creek. Never trust a non-rodent, let alone team up with one. Ever. But in the face of this new threat, Tobin will have to journey beyond the burrow and stretch the boundaries of the Rules if he wants to save his newborn brother.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rina Heisel has written the scripts for many natural science-themed documentaries and magazine segments, a few of which have links on her website, rinaheisel.com. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. After eleven years producing educational television programs for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Rina found she especially enjoyed writing segments centering on natural sciences. She found lots of inspiration in the animals she filmed, feeling as if she was getting a sneak peek into their secret worlds.

RINA’S REACTION TO THE COVER:

“The cover is just so epic and enthralling. Paul made the most of every inch of cover space.
Every toadstool, creature, the colors … everything is tied to the story. It’s amazing.
Even his early sketches brought tears to my eyes because he captured the mood and
urgency so strongly. He gave my characters souls and personality, and I could not be happier.”

RONNA’S REACTION TO THE COVER:

I couldn’t take my eyes off of this gorgeous cover. It glows and immediately pulls your attention onto the mice. Then the hawk swooping in from above adds tension. And that’s smart since these birds of prey play an important role in the story. Illustrator Paul Scott Canavan has put the main character, Tobin, front and center, placing little sister Talia to the right, and his bff Wiley to his left. The combination of the trees, the mushrooms and the water work together to highlight the mice and set the stage for this deep woods animal fantasy adventure tale. Please note: There will be snakes!
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ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST:

Paul Scott Canavan is a Bafta award-winning artist from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Over the course of his 12-year career, Paul has worked as an illustrator and concept artist for clients including Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons), Valve and Games Workshop, and as Art Director at Axis Animation creating AAA cinematics for studios like Bungie, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, Skybound and ArenaNet. http://paulscottcanavan.