Spirit's Key

Description

By now, twelve-year-old Spirit Holden should have inherited the family gift: the ability to see the future. But when she holds a house key in her hand like her dad does to read its owner's destiny, she can't see anything. Maybe it's because she can't get over the loss of her beloved dog, Sky, who died mysteriously. Sky was Spirit's loyal companion, one of the wild dogs that the local islanders believe possess dangerous spirits. As more dogs start dying and people become sick, too, almost everyone is convinced that these dogs and their spirits are to blame - except for Spirit. Then Sky's ghost appears, and Spirit is shaken. But his help may be the key to unlocking her new power and finding the cause of the strange illness before it's too late.

Edith Cohn was born and raised in North Carolina, where she grew up visiting the unique beaches of the Outer Banks. She currently lives in the coyote-filled hills of Los Angeles with her husband and her dog, Leia. All of these things provided inspiration for Spirit's Key, her first novel. edithcohn.com

"*Cohn has crafted a winsome protagonist with Spirit and a rich, unique setting in Bald Island. Themes of belonging, standing up for what is right, and wildlife conservation pervade this strong debut." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW "Fans of Ingrid Law's quirky and elegant Savvy will find Spirit is an equally memorable protagonist seeking to turn her untamed powers into a true gift." --BCCB "This delightful novel puts together a typical girl-and-her-dog story with a touch of magic, creating a strong debut for Cohn. The setting becomes a character in this magical middle-grade novel." --VOYA "A delightfully original plot . . . The island setting is unique, and the people that inhabit it are well worth getting to know." --School Library Journal "An inventive story with a fresh setting and an upstanding moral compass." --Kirkus Reviews "Cohn's debut is lyrical and heartfelt, addressing an insular society's fear of the unknown and how it can be exploited, but the story tangles and slows in its own charming prose and theme of melancholy and loss." --Publishers Weekly "As compelling as it is inventive, Edith Cohn's Spirit's Key dangles magical charms before the reading mind. Surely a new classic." --Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor Award-winning author of One Crazy Summer "Spirit's Key will sweep you away to an island of wonder and mystery. A beautifully imagined debut that enchants, surprises, and tugs hard at your heart, this is a magical story of overcoming loss and believing in the gifts of both the past and the future." --Nova Ren Suma, author of Imaginary Girls "Ghost dogs and mystery galore. Cohn has told a story like no other." --Barbara O'Connor, author of How to Steal a Dog