by Jake Halpern
First published 2009
Alfonso Perplexon wakes up two hundred feet above ground in a pine tree near World's End, Minnesota. This happens often. Alfonso performs incredible feats while asleep. He climbs trees, trains falcons, and shoots arrows with perfect accuracy. His family cannot explain these abilities. One evening, a stranger named Hill appears at Alfonso's door. Hill claims to be Alfonso's uncle and tells an extraordinary story. Alfonso descends from the people of Dormia, a hidden kingdom in the Ural Mountains populated by gifted sleepers. The Founding Tree that keeps Dormia alive is dying. Without it, the frozen valley will become uninhabitable within days. Dormia needs a Great Sleeper who can grow a replacement tree while in a sleep trance. Hill believes Alfonso possesses this rare ability. Alfonso's sleeping mind has already sprouted the needed tree. Now Alfonso and Hill must transport it to Dormia before time runs out. The Dragoonya, ancient enemies of Dormia, hunt for anyone seeking the secret passages into the kingdom. Alfonso accepts the mission, beginning an adventure that will test everything he thought he knew about himself.
Genres: fiction, adventure, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Dormia, Ural Mountains, World's End, Minnesota
Period: Ancient
528 pages · Hardcover · HMH Books for Young Readers