Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist: Flight of the Phoenix

Written by R. L. LaFevers

Illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Nathaniel's parents were explorers. They left him with a caretaker until his sense of adventure developed, but promised to send for him when he was older. By the time he turned ten and still hadn't received a letter from his parents, Nathaniel gave up on that dream. One day, a lawyer contacted his caregiver stating that he had word from the boy's parents. Unfortunately, the news he had wasn't good; Nathaniel's parents had been declared lost at sea. What's more is that Nathaniel was now to leave his caretaker and live with a distant relative, Phil Fludd. Faced with this life-changing news, Nathaniel was put on a train and sent to the unknown relative's home. Upon his arrival, he learned that this relative was a beastologist, whatever that is. Scared and lonely, Nathaniel was determined to learn all he could about his parents and the rest of his ancestors, as well as to figure out if he deserved to be a member of this family of great explorers.

During his first quest with Aunt Phil, Nathaniel receives a most important gift from a phoenix that he protects. The book ends and we never learn what becomes of this gift. What do you think Nathaniel and Aunt Phil will do with it? Do you think we will read about it in the next book from this series?