Orphans of the Tide

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

A young inventor must uncover the truth about a mysterious visitor in this debut middle grade fantasy packed with Hugo Cabret charm.

The City is the only home that Ellie has ever known. She’s always been told that there’s nothing beyond the shores of her small, salty island.That is, until a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, trapped inside the belly of a whale.The citizens of the City believe he’s the Enemy—the god from their myths and legends who drowned the whole world—come again to cause untold chaos.The Enemy is said to take possession of human bodies, and the ruthless Inquisition is determined to destroy it forever. Ellie knows the boy is innocent, but in order to save him, she must prove who he really is—even if that means revealing her own dangerous secret.Fans of Wildwood and The Mysterious Benedict Society will be enthralled by this inventive and adventurous take on a modern classic.

About the Author

Struan Murray is Scottish and grew up in Edinburgh, the youngest of a large, rowdy family of redheads. He has a PhD in genetics and is now a lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Oxford.