Description

About the Author

S. S. Taylor lives in Vermont and has a strong interest in books of all kinds, expeditions, old libraries, mysterious situations, long-hidden secrets, maps, and exploring known and unknown places. She is most recently the author of Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean.

Praise for The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon…

A Winter 2012–13 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick!

“Nifty gadgets, moments of moderate terror, and high stakes... Roy’s playful illustrations have an adventurous, Jonny Quest flair.”—Publishers Weekly

"Can three orphaned siblings with half a map beat an oppressive government to a secret, gold-filled canyon?

Set in a future where the hacking of computers and depletion of natural resources has caused a return to steam and clockwork engines, Taylor’s novel crosses dystopian and steampunk genres in this fast-paced, plot-driven tale. An Explorer with a clockwork hand smuggles an old book to Kit, the book’s narrator. With his two siblings, brave Zander and preteen inventor M.K., he forms the Expeditioners, breaking the code hidden in the book and finding half a map from their late father, Alexander West, an Explorer of the Realm. Off they go to find the other half of the map and follow it, facing giant green slugs, huge birds and evil government agents. The black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations and the portrayal of wrench-wielding, smart-mouthed, fearless M.K. lighten the tone of the lengthy text and its underlying message of mistreatment of natural resources and indigenous peoples. The premise that there are undiscovered places, that '[a] map of the world isn’t a fixed thing. We know only what we can see,' is an intriguing one.

Full of kid power, clues, codes and maps, this will appeal to sophisticated readers who appreciate their adventure served with heaping helpings of cleverness."—Kirkus Reviews

“A wonderful example of steampunk done well.”—School Library Journal

“Beautifully written and nail-bitingly thrilling, this is an easy series to get hooked on.”—San Francisco Chronicle

"Smart, enjoyable storytelling."—ForeWord Reviews

"Between author S.S. Taylor's fast-moving, appealing tale, and Katherine Roy's plentiful illustrations that bring the characters to life, THE EXPEDITIONERS AND THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON has a lot to offer readers young and old."—Common Sense Media

"The story moves at a thrilling pace, and the adventure will capture the imagination of readers. Roy's illustrations add another terrific element to the story; the jacket, endpapers, and cover of the hardcover book are stunning. I hope this title marks the first in a series."—The Show Me Librarian

"The Expeditioners has it all: secret maps, hidden treasure, villains, cool gadgets, plenty of adventure, and three intrepid siblings joining forces to save the day. Middle graders will love it, but this middle-ager couldn’t put it down."—Shelf Media Group


Praise for O' Artful Death:
"Taylor does a lovely job of setting an atmospheric scene and luring us inside."
— The New York Times Book Review