Dear Miss Plum,
I have the pleasure of inviting you to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island.
With this letter, young Plum leaves her caregiver grandparents and their farm on Little Island to begin her studies as a Trainee Guardian. She hopes to join the ranks of animal shapeshifters who protect the imagined world of the Santipap Islands. In this first-of-the-series, Plum will learn if she has the ability to transform into her animal form, the first test in becoming a Guardian.
“I hadn’t known what to imagine, but the moment I saw Lotus Island, I felt like I had seen it in my dreams all my life. Birds dived down the faces of sheer gray cliffs that towered above the water. It was green, so green, with trees growing between massive rocks. The late afternoon sun glinted off the gold tiles of the rooftops, making the whole island glow.”
In the Legends of Lotus Island series, Christina Soontornvat builds a fantastical world that is reality-adjacent, perfect for readers who are just trying out the fantasy genre. The animals – dough lambs, twile-flies, wolfhunds, gillybears – are similar to real animals, but with a twist. The setting is reminiscent of Soontornvat’s extended family home of Thailand with its archipelago of islands, each with a distinct character.
“What if I never find out my mother’s dream for me?”
On Lotus Island, Plum faces all the realities of boarding school life: building new friendships, finding out who you can trust, conquering school work challenges, and missing her home. What makes this boarding school story fresh is the overarching goal of becoming a Guardian and taking on the role of island protector. Plum’s late mother wanted this opportunity for her, and succeeding at the academy takes on even more importance. Can Plum fulfill her mother’s wish with honor, or will the pressure to succeed cause her to take short-cuts? Will she find the confidence to use her own natural gifts to help achieve her goal?
The series features manga-inspired illustrations by Kevin Hong that add novelty to the books. At a brisk 150 pages, even your youngest listeners will follow this fast-paced story.
Once your families have experienced the world of The Guardian Test, they will be excited to dive into the rest of the series. Each installment takes place on a different island with its own environment and adversity. The stories invite conversations about friendship, loyalty, confidence, integrity, and conservation – all served with excitement and imagination.
