Amos Daragon 1 The Mask Wearer

To defeat the forces of evil which threaten his world, young Amos Daragon, aided by mythical animal friends, sets out on a journey to find four masks that harness the forces of nature and sixteen powerful stones that give the masks their magic.

"A smart choice for die-hard fantasy lovers. . . . Fans of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy will approve."--Booklist Amos Daragon's life changes forever the day a mermaid gives him a mask capable of harnessing the strength of the wind—and appoints Amos as the new Mask Wearer. His task: to find the masks for the other elements, earth, fire, and water. Only then will Amos be fully empowered to battle the evil forces that threaten to destroy the balance of nature and plunge the world into darkness. To fulfill his destiny, Amos must make his way to the mysterious woods of Tarkasis. But a wicked sorcerer is terrorizing the land, searching for a skull pendant that was stolen from him—a pendant that conceals a secret weapon. What will Amos do when the pendant falls into his hands? Will Beorf, a boy who can morph into a bear, and Medusa, a snake-haired gorgon, turn out to be friend or foe? And will Amos master any of his newfound skills as Mask Wearer in time to face a formidable enemy? His chanllenges are great . . . and they're just beginning.

Having survived his first mission as Mask Wearer, Amos Daragon finds himself on his way to the City of the Dead, trying to find the key that will unlock the doors to paradise and hell.

Leaving the city of Berrios in ashes behind him, Amos Daragon heads north, where goblins and monsters are preparing for Ragnarok, the end of days. But even with the help of Beorites, Vikings and one very, very old dragon hunter, can the young mask wearer really avert the Apocalypse?

A girl, a dog, a boy, a journey 'When my death came, it was swift. Swift as a racing horse.' Twelve-year-old Daisy has just died in a car crash. But in a twist of fate, and through a heavenly bureaucratic mistake Daisy ends up, not where she is supposed to be - but in the body of a dog. Daisy may now be inhabiting a dog's body, but inside she is still very much Daisy, and is as bouncy, loyal, positive, energetic as she ever was. Daisy's only thought is to somehow be reunited with her parents, who she knows will be missing her. And this is how she meets Pip, a boy who is homeless and on his own journey, and a lasting, tender and very moving friendship between boy and dog/girl is formed.

Originally published by Bradbury Press in 1970.

Originally published: New York: Random House Children's Books, 2015.