Seth and Kendra hugged their grandparents good-bye
and then climbed into the SUV. Grandpa winked at
Kendra. Dad started the engine. You kids have a good
time?
Yeah, Seth said.
Amazing, Kendra added.
Remember how worried you were when we dropped
you off? Mom said as she buckled her seatbelt. I bet it
wasn’t half as scary as you imagined.
Kendra and Seth shared a very special look.
The Adventure
Continues in
Book Two
FABLEHAVEN
AND THE RISE OF THE
EVENING STAR
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Chris Schoebinger for seeing the
potential in this story and making it a reality. Thanks also
to Brandon Dorman for his wonderful illustrations; to
Emily Watts, whose editorial talents smoothed out the
rough edges; and to Richard Erickson, Sheryl Dickert
Smith, and Tonya Facemyer, whose design prowess made
everything look really cool. My appreciation to the entire
Shadow Mountain team for doing a tremendous job.
Thanks go out to the friends who provided feedback on
early drafts: Jason and Natalie Conforto, Randy and Rachel
Davis, Mike Walton, Lisa Mangum, Tony Benjamin, the
Excel crew, Nancy, Liz, T mara, Bryson and Cherie,
Summer, Mary, my dad, my mom, and all the others. See,
Ty, you should have read it.
Thanks to Aaron Allen and family for the laptop and
the support. Thanks to Tiffany for untying certain knots.
Thanks to Ryan Hamilton and Dean Hale for extended
encouragement. Thanks to Tuck for the dictionary and the
eleventh-hour contributions.
Thanks to my parents for so much more than genetic
material, and to my siblings for helping me learn how to
tease, and to my extended family for being there more than
many would consider normal.
Thanks to all former teachers, schoolmates, associates,
dates, friends, acquaintances, comedy troupe members,
rivals, enemies, and disinterested third parties. Keep on
keeping on.
Thanks to you for reading these acknowledgments and
hopefully the rest of the book. And the next. And the
next.
Most important, a special acknowledgment to my
enchanting wife, Mary, and my beautiful children, Sadie
and Chase. Thank you for giving my life something to
revolve around besides the sun.
Reading Guide
The following questions may be useful in promoting
discussion about some of the themes and ideas found in
Fablehaven. They are intended as a starting point for interactions
in classrooms and with reading groups.
. There can be great protection from exact obedience.
How was this principle reinforced for Seth? For Kendra?
How does the principle of obedience function in your life?
. Kendra was generally a rule keeper, Seth a rule
breaker. How did their attitudes evolve over the course of
the book? What are advantages to both attitudes?
Disadvantages?
. Consequences serve an essential role for maintaining
order and justice and harmony. How do laws help to
keep order in Fablehaven? How were Kendra and Seth
affected by the consequences of their decisions? How have
the consequences of past decisions helped or hindered you?
. Many of the problems in Fablehaven arose as a result
of decisions the characters made, often without bad intentions.
Sometimes, what we don’t know can hurt us. How
was that true for Kendra and Seth? Are there similar
examples in the world around you?
. It can be a challenge to find the courage to do what
we fear the most. What enabled Kendra to do something
that terrified her? What circumstances do you find most
intimidating? How do you find the strength to make it
through difficult situations?
. Circumstances arose where many of the characters
in Fablehaven had to risk their lives. Do you think you
would risk your life for anything? If so, what?
. Many of the creatures in Fablehaven have roots in
various mythologies, particularly Greek. Can you identify
which creatures come from which mythologies? Did you
recognize any vocabulary in the book with mythological
roots? What are some common words that come from
mythologies?
. Several of the creatures of Fablehaven personified
specific attributes. What did the fairies seem to personify?
The satyrs? The cliff troll? What are the strengths and
weaknesses of those characteristics?
. Lena spent part of her life as a naiad, in an unchanging
state. What aspects of mortality did she like? What did
she dislike? How do you think she felt about being returned
to the water? Was it fair for the fairies to do that?
. Fablehaven existed to help protect and conserve
vanishing magical species. Why would that be worthwhile?
Why do you suppose Grandpa Sorenson even wanted to
protect the dangerous creatures? What non-magical plants
or animals in our world are in danger of extinction? What
are we doing to protect them?
. There is a promise at the front of the book that
none who enter Fablehaven will leave unchanged. How
did their experiences at Fablehaven change Seth and
Kendra? What do you take from the book?
These are just a few topics to initiate discussion.
We would love to hear your discussion topics, your
reactions, and your questions on the message board at
Fablehaven.com.
To find out more about all things Fablehaven, or to get
in touch with the author, be sure to visit Fablehaven.com