Sylvia Doe is 13 and her favorite place is the home she has known for 9 years: The Highground Home for Children in North Carolina. She especially loves the horses and helping Mason, the caretaker of the property. Most kids stay a short time at the home, always getting fostered out. Sylvia does too, but she always runs away and returns. The Highground Home is her special place.
When a powerful hurricane causes massive flooding in the valley, she rides Kitty Hawk in hopes of finding missing horses from the stable. Sylvia sees a lot of strange things that don’t belong, including an unconscious boy floating down the river. She immediately takes off into the river and pulls the boy out. This is just the beginning of their adventure.
It’s gripping start and one you can’t stop reading. The movie-like book trailer does a fantastic job of setting up the plot.
The third person narration takes readers through 36 chapters and an epilogue. The rest of the story focuses on discovering just where her new friend Jorna came from. I won’t mention any of the surprising twists and turns so as to not spoil the reading experience for others who give this book a go. It’s a real page turner.
BOOK BIRTHDAY: October 8, 2024 PAGE COUNT: 320
FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: SYLVIA DOE AND THE 100-YEAR FLO0D by Robert Beatty
- The changing environment in this area of North Carolina is an excellent support for the story’s ecology aspects. Also featured are many of Sylvia entries from her field guide she created about the animals she has encountered. A very visual learning tool.
- The ending is heartwarming and perfect. I did figure out many pages ahead of where this was heading, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of seeing the plot end this way.
- A strong female protagonist was not only welcome, but a great way to get girls and boys reading.
- Sylvia and Jorna have a bond that grows with each passing scene. It’s a special relationship, one you will remember. There is an innocent kiss handled with ease for a middle grade audience.
- Adventure, Friendship, and a fast paced story are just what young readers ask for- Look no further than SYLVIA DOE and the 100-Year Flood.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Beatty is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Serafina
Series, the Willa Series, and Sylvia Doe — all published by Disney-Hyperion.
Loved by both young readers and adults alike, his books are being taught in over
a thousand classrooms nationwide and have been translated into over twenty
languages across the world. Over ONE MILLION of his books have been sold.
The award-winning Serafina Series is a spooky mystery-thriller about a brave
and unusual cat-like girl who lives secretly in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate, surrounded by the opulence of the Gilded Age and the rugged beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Serafina and the Black Cloak, the first book in the series, won the Southern Book Prize in 2016. All four books in the series became New York Times bestsellers.
Mr. Beatty’s second project was the #1 New York Times best-selling Willa of the
Wood Series, the story of a young forest girl with ancient magical powers who
struggles for survival and understanding in the Great Smoky Mountains. The
Willa books are in the early stages of being developed into a live action television
series by Lionsgate.
His latest book, Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood, is the tale of a lonely 13-
year-old girl and a powerful, magical storm that forever changes her life. The
award-winning author Kwame Alexander called it, “Magical realism at its best.”
Both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly awarded Sylvia Doe with a prestigious
STARRED REVIEW.
Robert Beatty lives in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and
place. He writes full-time now, but in his past lives, Mr. Beatty was one of the
early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the co-
founder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative Magazine. In
2007, he was named an Entrepreneur of the Year.
When asked about the inspiration for his writing, Robert said, “My books are
inspired by my desire to write about heroic young girls for my three daughters.”
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COMMENTS ARE WELCOME BELOW and BE SURE TO VISIT ALL THE OTHER BLOGGERS ON TODAY’S MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE MONDAY!
Always in the Middle... 
THe first thing I thought of when I heard about Hurricane Helene hitting Asheville was the Biltmore Hotel, mainly because of Serafina. An unfortunately timely review!
Yes, this is, unfortunately, a really timely story and review. This sounds like an author and book I’d like.
Wow! Cannot wait to read, Greg!
Love the cover ! Yes, very timely, and the devastation is horrendous 😦 . I haven’t read Serafina but I have heard good things about it, so I must check out this author. Thanks for the recommendation!
The cover is very engaging. I did not realize that Robert Beatty wrote this, I really enjoyed his other series, will keep an eye out for it.
What a timely review. I loved the trailer. Can feel your enthusiasm for the story in your review. What an adventure! I haven’t read any of the other series, but need to check out the author. Also like the tourch of magical realism. Look forward to reading this story!
Thank you for this excellent review. This book is on my reading list, and I want to read it even more now! Happy (belated) MMGM!
This sounds terrific, and it is unfortunately very timely. I’m putting this high up on my TBR list. It sounds like my kind of book. Thanks for telling me about it.
Sounds really good!
I have read Serafina by this author and I am adding this one to my list now. Definitely a timely book and review. What an amazing book trailer! We had a lot of flooding in my area at the end of the summer (a once in a lifetime flood). I think my students would be very interested in this book. Thanks for putting it on my radar.
I will definitely read this one, thanks to your excellent review, Greg. In my home province, 100 year floods are occurring much more frequently. As Rosi says, this is unfortunately very timely.