Ages 8-12 Awards & Accolades
- A Junior Library Guild Selection
- A Texas Bluebonnet List Selection
- Honorable Mention, Entertainment Weekly’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2016
- An Amazon Best Children’s Book of 2016
- An Audible Best Children’s Book of 2016
- A Bank Street College of Education Best Books of 2017
- Long listed for the SIBA Southern Book Prize
- A Nebraska Library Commission Best Book of 2016
- A Volunteer State Book Award Finalist
Everyone in Emma’s family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous country music singers—every single one of which learned of their Extraordinary Destiny through a dream.
For Emma, her own Destiny Dream can’t come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she’d do whatever it took to fulfill her Destiny, and she doesn’t want to let her mother down.
But when Emma’s dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task—finding a legendary treasure that’s supposedly hidden near her town’s historic cemetery. If Emma fails, she’ll let down generations of her Extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that’s been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?
With her signature blend of lyrical writing, quirky humor, and a cast of unforgettable small town characters, Natalie Lloyd’s The Key to Extraordinary doesn’t just tug on your heartstrings, it strums them — cementing her status as one of the most original voices writing for children today.
Reviews
“As the lyrical prose unfurls, readers will get swept away by Lloyd’s ability to capture small town charm and inject her writing with just a hint of magic.” –Entertainment Weekly
“Filled with beautiful writing, compelling characters and just the slightest touch of the fantastic, The Key to Extraordinary draws readers in from the first page and carries them along straight through to the satisfying ending. Destiny Dream or no, Emma Pearl is anything but ordinary.” –BookPage
“A bouquet of quirks, whimsy, sweetness, and magic.” –Kirkus
“In a folksy tale laced with supernatural mystery, Lloyd poetically conveys the depth of 12-year-old Emma’s emotions … The book’s evocative setting and cast of eccentric minor characters will draw readers into Emma’s world – one warmed by friendship, love, and hope – to share in her discovery that the most valuable treasures lie within.” –Publishers Weekly
“Ghosts and magic weave through this warmly sentimental tale of small-town life…A climactic whirlwind leads to a triumphant close, but one character’s observation that “Everything wonderful is possible” is the tale’s true touchstone.” –Booklist
Ages 8-12Did you know?
Did you know authors don’t usually illustrate their own books? Professional illustrators do that, and authors sometimes don’t even know what the final cover looks like until they see it. Illustrators go through several drafts for covers—just the same as authors do with the story. Click here to see Gilbert Ford’s different ideas and early drafts of the cover for The Key to Extraordinary ( . . . and get a sneak peek at the book’s original title!).
The Key to Extraordinary: The Audiobook
Return to Blackbird Hollow via the Earphones Award winning audiobook of The Key to Extraordinary, with original music by David Mansfield, and characters voiced by Kate Simses.
Resources for Educators & Book Club Facilitators
Get ideas for classroom and small group engagement with Beyond the Book: The Key to Extraordinary
And click here to download a free PDF of Scholastic’s Mother/Daughter Book Club Discussion Guide!
