The Beast Player -- Nahoko Uehashi, Hardcover

Elin's family has an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom's army. So when some of the creatures mysteriously die, Elin's mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath, she manages to send her daughter to safety.

Alone and far from home, Elin soon discovers that she can communicate with both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great power, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or is there no escaping the terrible battles to come?

Author: Nahoko Uehashi
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 03/26/2019
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.20w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781250307460
Age Range: 12-17

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 6.1
Point Value: 20
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 509929 / Beast Player

Award: Michael L. Printz Award - Honor Book
Award: Mildred L. Batchelder Award - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2019
Booklist 02/15/2019 pg. 53
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2019 - Book Of Special Distinction
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2019 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Nahoko Uehashi is one of Japan's most popular children's writers. She has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award. An associate professor at a Japanese university, she has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and studies indigenous peoples in Australia. Her books include the multivolume Moribito series. She lives near Tokyo, Japan.