Books with title The Legend of the Morchella

Discover the legend behind one of the world's most beloved mushrooms, in this original story about the origins of the morel each year. Tiny woodland people, known as the Morchella, grow and care for the morel, using their mushroom spores in magical ways. However, another clan of evil elves, known as the Gyromitra, try to steal their mushrooms and their magical spores. Lacking the good magic of the Morchella, the Gyromitra find that they can only grow ugly, inedible mushrooms. The Morchella people must find a way to continue growing the morels despite the challenge of sharing the woods with the Gyromitra. Clay animation characters in the natural world bring this unique story to life, allowing children to contemplate the mysteries and wonder that lie within the forest.

Discover the legend behind one of the world's most beloved mushrooms, in this original story about the origins of the morel each year. Tiny woodland people, known as the Morchella, grow and care for the morel, using their mushroom spores in magical ways. However, another clan of evil elves, known as the Gyromitra, try to steal their mushrooms and their magical spores. Lacking the good magic of the Morchella, the Gyromitra find that they can only grow ugly, inedible mushrooms. The Morchella people must find a way to continue growing the morels despite the challenge of sharing the woods with the Gyromitra. Clay animation characters in the natural world bring this unique story to life, allowing children to contemplate the mysteries and wonder that live within the forest.

There was nothing unusual about the day. After school John Peters and his friends began their chant. “Monkey foot, Monkey foot, climb a tree, monkey feet eats bananas for free.” Monk, short for Montgomery, ignored the bullies as he waded out in the clear stream that ran behind the school for farm level students. He knew he was different. He had feet like a monkey, hands as big as a gorilla’s, and a face with features that resembled an ape’s. Yes, he was different, thanks to experiments performed on him by his parents while he was still in the womb. When they were arrested, he’d been placed with a farm-level family. He knew about his parents from listening to the conversation between his “aunt” and “uncle,” who were no kin to him, and the lady from the welfare department who came monthly to check on him. She always asked the same questions. “Has he shown any strange abilities? Has he become aggressive?” From her questions and how she asked them, Monk had learned to hide from them his abilities to sense emotions in animals. Now, he wanted to forget all that and just be alone in the tall oaks forest on the other side of the stream. He had other unusual abilities, as well. Other things he kept hidden. He could climb trees and swing through them like the fictitious character Tarzan he had read in antique books he’d found in the cellar of his foster parents’ house.Frolicking carefree through the oak canopies, he could dream of someday becoming a shuttle pilot to the moon and Mars. It was a dream he knew could never come true because of his being restricted to the farm level. Still, he enjoyed the fantasy.Suddenly, he heard a sound like a hurricane, and a burst of wind blew dried leaves slammed against his face. What on earth could it be? Taking care not to be seen, Monk crept through the trees to a larger clearing. Before him stood a spaceship—much larger than any he’d ever seen. What he didn’t realize was that he’d stumbled onto an alien invasion of earth. Worst of all, the aliens planned to snatch away all earth’s children between ten and thirteen. Then they’d all begin training to become imperial troops for the Zorkan emperor.Thus begins the legend of Monkey Foot as he tries to survive the brutal training and savage Goom instructors whose goals are to take the top three percent of the children and make them into a deadly fighting force for the emperor. The other ninety-seven percent would gradually be eliminated.

EXCERPT:Syl darted for the trees, running as fast as she could. Her heart raced, but as fast as she could run, the dragon was faster. It was going to attack again. If it attacked with fire, she wouldn't have a choice. She would have to transfigure. Transfigure, or perish.This time, it swooped down in front of her, landing between her and the tree line, cutting off her escape. The burst of wind created by its wide wings threw her back. She landed hard on her backside, and felt the wind rush from her lungs. Clawing at the dirt, she rose, struggling to her hands and knees. When she looked again, the fire dragon stood towering before her, peering down at her with its magnificent fiery red eyes. They weren't like any ice dragon’s eyes she had ever seen. Hers glowed brightly with an iridescent blue, but these—the fire dragon’s seemed to be consumed by a pillar of flames.“You just had to interfere!” she shouted. Syl felt the change coming. Every fiber of her being began to tingle with the surge of familiar power. There was no stopping it now. Without hesitation or warning, she transfigured. Bursting forth from a brilliant flash of blue, she emerged, ten feet tall, wings outstretched, covered from head to toe in lustrous blue scales, ready to face her opponent. SYNOPSISIn the medieval-inspired realm of Morisha, humans and ice dragons coexist under somewhat volatile circumstances… For Syl, a proud and misunderstood member of the ice dragon clan, flying is her sole escape from the calamities of her past, and her human emotions. They, along with the humans are…well, more of an inconvenience than anything. When the emergence of the vengeful fire dragon clan threatens their lands, panic sweeps over the two kingdoms. After being falsely accused for an attack on the human kingdom and unable to cope with the flight ban set in place to protect the clan, Syl decides to leave. However, it does not take long before she finds herself in grave danger, coming face to face with the fire dragons. Outcast and alone, Syl’s only ally now seems to be her human acquaintance, the strange and self-assured foot soldier named Emeric, who is facing his own set of problems. In addition to the fire dragon attacks, the humans are also facing an army of traitors in their midst. As tensions run high, new alliances form, while others quickly begin to crumble. With the threat of a war just lingering on the horizon, no one is safe from what is to come…