Equal parts Kate DiCamillo, William Blake, and Susan Cooper, Mistland is a fully illustrated, full color Middle Grade fantasy infused with Irish mythology and the debut of a spectacular author-illustrator, Maggie Heinze.
Hanlon Philomena Hughes has lived her whole life under the shadow of her parents. Or rather, their reputations: Once world-renowned archaeologists, Henry and Philomena Hughes lost their jobs and their good names pursuing a made-up group of magical islands off the coast of Ireland. And eventually, their lives—as they disappeared in a terrible storm right after Hanlon was born.
Until one night, Hanlon and her best friend accidentally summon a mysterious and terrifying bird-man: a Waello. And so begins the journey that Hanlon realizes she's been desperate for all along. For the myth is real and her parents are alive, and Hanlon and a ragtag team of explorers must voyage to a Mistland full of creatures, heroes, and monsters to bring them home.
Maggie Heinze is an author-illustrator and middle school art teacher. She lives outside New York City with her son, Robbie. Mistland is her debut novel.