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“Twins Kinjal and Kiya Rajkumar set off on a journey to another dimension to save the Sky Kingdom’s crumbling ecosystem in this series opener. The fourth graders are ordinary New Jersey kids. But when Kinjal sees his mom stretch out her arm to catch a bee in a way that is beyond human, he seeks answers in Thakurmar Jhuli, a collection of Bengali folktales that is special to his father…In this fantasy, DasGupta masterfully highlights the importance of pollinators and environmental activism through a mythological lens that is rooted in real-world examples.”

– Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Readers will love being swept away on adventures with Kinjal, Kiya, the themes of survival and our interconnectedness, and the magic of different realms. A perfect start to an exciting series for young fantasy readers!”

– Hena Khan, author of Amina’s Voice

The Chaos Monster (Secrets of the Sky #1)

Written by Sayantani DasGupta
Illustrated by Sandara Tang
Published by Scholastic, Inc.

Ten-year-old Kinjal knows something strange is going on. But he does not expect his dog, Thums-up, to disappear before his eyes in the middle of the night! Even stranger, two enormous flying horses appear and insist on taking Kinjal and his twin sister, Kiya, to a place they have never heard of: the Sky Kingdom. The twins have no choice but to go if they want to see their dog again, even if that isn’t why the winged pakkhiraj horses showed up in the first place. They have come to this dimension to seek help — bees are disappearing, along with the nectar the horses need to survive.

Whisked away to a magical realm, the twins must use Kiya’s scientific skills and Kinjal’s love of books and language to help the horses. Once there, they discover that the disappearance of the bees is more nefarious than they thought, and the plot goes all the way to the top.

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Primary ISBN: 9781338766738
Publication Date: July 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older

Community Represented: ,

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (Parsippany NJ), Fantastical

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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Source: Scholastic