The Engineer Of Beasts

After decades of abuse transforms the world into a toxic wasteland, people flee into the safety of a global network of domed cities. Within these safe, orderly spaces, the only animals allowed are machines in the new world’s mechanized zoos, called disneys. Orlando Spinks prides himself on keeping his father’s disney spotless and orderly, until 13-year-old Mooch explodes into his life and down the throat of a mechanized lion.. Mooch quickly wriggles her way into Orlando’s heart with her creative mechanical genius, fiery spirit, and passion for real animals. As her rebellious spark spreads to Orlando, they restore the wild spirit to the mechanical beasts, but catch the eye and ire of the Overseers. Beautifully written, The Engineer of Beasts brings together the best of Scott Russell Sanders's environmental wisdom with skilled world-building and beloved characters.

“Terrific fantasy . . . Sanders takes readers on a whirlwind tour of a future Earth, where cities are domed for protection against the deadly environment.” —Publishers Weekly After decades of abuse transforms the world into a toxic wasteland, people flee into the safety of a global network of domed cities. Within these safe, orderly spaces, the only animals allowed are machines in the new world’s mechanized zoos, called disneys. Orlando Spinks prides himself on keeping his father’s disney spotless and orderly, until 13-year-old Mooch explodes into his life and down the throat of a mechanized lion. Mooch quickly wriggles her way into Orlando’s heart with her creative mechanical genius, fiery spirit, and passion for real animals. As her rebellious spark spreads to Orlando, they restore the wild spirit to the mechanical beasts, but catch the eye and ire of the Overseers. Beautifully written, The Engineer of Beasts brings together the best of Scott Russell Sanders’s environmental wisdom with skilled world-building and beloved characters. “A keen eye, a sensuous and exact imagination, and a buoyant spirit.” —Ursula K. Le Guin “Sanders’ writing has a polished, literary complexity: images sharply seen, language graceful and well-used, plot-threads spun out, and his cast of characters is wild and wonderful. Thoughtful, patient readers with a taste for satire will enjoy this now-funny, now-tender coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Reviews “It has a gritty strength and appeal, with humor that tempers the bleakness of the characters’ situations . . . He is a skilled writer well able to challenge and intrigue his readers.” —School Library Journal

Thirteen-year-old Mooch runs afoul of the repressive authorities controlling her floating domed city, by helping an old engineer build realistic robot animals and by seeking her spiritual roots with the wild animals left on the outside.

Young Scott and his father have a personal way of learning the trees and remembering their names. It's a game they like to play, one you'll want to play too! Learn the name of the swallowtail butterfly who loves to sit on the dogwood branch, see the majestic beauty of the black-and-yellow Argiope spider, or see what makes the beech tree so special (its bark is smooth and gray just like the skin of a hippo). Featuring beautiful paintings by nature artist Robert Hynes and the exquisite language of renowned author Scott Russell Sanders, Meeting Trees captures the delicate details of bark, branches, and leaves while enchanting readers with the beauty of the natural world.

They came in armies from under the sea - they possessed an intelligence and cunning beyond any human. These incredible tales were dismissed as the ravings of madmen by marine expert Peter Hollows, and his lovely assistant Sally Brent. But then they appeared... strange and monstrous creatures that Hallows and his expedition might never live to describe.