Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

A hurricane changes the course of a river and the life of a lonely girl in this nature-based mystery-adventure by the best-selling author of the Serafina series and the Willa series

Robert Beatty, a master at telling atmospheric tales of mystery and suspense set in the natural world, has crafted another ingenious, unputdownable story.

Thirteen-year-old Sylvia Doe has lived at the Highground Home for Children nearly all her life. Whenever the administrators try to place her with a foster family, she runs away--back to Mason, Highground's caretaker and her best friend. The only place she feels like she belongs is with him and the horses he has taught her to love.

When a powerful storm causes the remote mountain valley where she lives to flood, Sylvia begins to encounter strange and wondrous things floating down the river. Glittering gemstones and wild animals that don't belong--everything's out of place. Then she spots an unconscious boy floating in the water.

As she drags him onto the shore and their adventure together begins, Sylvia wonders who he is and where he came from. And why does she feel such a strong connection to this mysterious boy?

About the Author

Robert Beatty is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Serafina series and the Willa series. His books are taught in over a thousand classrooms nationwide and have been translated into over 22 languages. Robert draws inspiration from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, who created the interior drawings for this book. His adventure tales grew out of a desire to write stories about unusual and heroic young girls for his three daughters. He is a full-time author now, but in his past lives he was one of the early pioneers of cloud computing, the founder/CEO of Plex Systems, the cofounder of Beatty Robotics, and the chairman/CTO of Narrative magazine. Visit him online at www.robertbeattybooks.com.

Author Residence: Asheville, NC